New York -UNS :Council Member Linda Lee (D-Oakland Gardens), Queens Borough President Donovan Richards (D-Queens) Senator Toby Ann Stavisky (D-Flushing), Assembly Member Ed Braunstein (D-Flushing), Council Member Vickie Paladino (R-Whitestone), and Queens Community Board 13 hosted a press conference to oppose the consideration of the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center as a site to house Asylum Seekers on Wednesday. Community Board 13 Civic Association presidents and the CEO/President of SNAP Queens Paola Miceli, along with community members also present on the occasion..
“Over the last year, New York City has been the epicenter of an unprecedented, humanitarian asylum seeker crisis,” said Council Member Linda Lee, Co-Chair of the Queens Delegation. “All of us may have different viewpoints on the matter, but what we all can vehemently agree on, is that Creedmoor is not a viable location to house asylum seekers. Eastern Queens, which is primarily a residential area, is also a transit desert with little to no rail access. The establishment of a large-scale tent shelter to house 1,000 migrants will place further stress on the lack of transportation infrastructure in our communities, leaving asylum seekers stranded and isolated from accessible supportive care services that they desperately need. Communities in Eastern Queens face challenges, including aging infrastructure that fails to mitigate flooding, as well as, severe overcrowding, further straining sanitation infrastructure and our school systems. With the influx of new arrivals daily, and over 103,000 individuals currently housed within the shelter system, there is no way our City can sustainably provide high-quality care and services to people most in need without Federal support. I want to thank my City and State colleagues, CB13 Chair Bryan Block, and District Manager Mark McMillan for bringing the community together in response to the consideration of Creedmoor.”
“We have a lot of questions about how this site would be operated in a way that adequately serves asylum seekers, but also preserves the quality of life of the residents who live near Creedmoor,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “In ‘The World’s Borough’ we have always opened our arms to anyone who wishes to build a better life here in our community. But when it comes to this proposed site the Mayor’s Office must establish a channel of communication with local leaders and neighborhood stakeholders. The city must also leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety and well-being of all involved.”
