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A4 U.S. NEWS
Monday 15 May 2023
NYC converts hotels to shelters to accommodate asylum seekers

By DEEPTI HAJELA and BOB- group shelters made it dif-
BY CAINA CALVAN ficult to comply with social
Associated Press distancing rules, prompt-
NEW YORK (AP) — The his- ing the city to rent out hun-
toric Roosevelt Hotel in mid- dreds of hotel rooms as
town Manhattan shuttered quasi COVID wards. As the
three years ago, but it will pandemic eased, the city
soon be bustling again — became less reliant on ho-
reopening to accommo- tels.
date an anticipated influx That changed as thou-
of asylum seekers just as sands of migrants began
other New York City hotels arriving by bus last year.
are being converted to The Watson Hotel on West
emergency shelters. 57th Street, which used to
Mayor Eric Adams an- receive rave reviews for its
nounced Saturday that the rooftop pool and proximity
city will use the Roosevelt to to Central Park, is now be-
eventually provide as many ing used to house migrant
as 1,000 rooms for migrants families.
who are expected to ar- “It is our moral and legal
rive in coming weeks be- obligation to provide shel-
cause of the expiration of ter to anyone who needs
pandemic-era rules, known Recent immigrants to the United States lie on the sidewalk with their belongings as they talk to city it,” the city’s Department
collectively as Title 42, that officials in front of the Watson Hotel in New York, Monday, Jan. 30, 2023. Associated Press of Social Services said in a
had allowed federal of- statement. “As such, we
ficials to turn away asylum for migrants and has sought in 1948 was said to have Krinsky & Drogin, attorneys have utilized, and will con-
seekers from the U.S. border financial help from the state wrongly announced from for the hotel’s owner, said tinue to utilize, every tool
with Mexico. and federal governments. the Roosevelt that he had reopening as a city-spon- at our disposal to meet the
Across the city, hotels like “New York City has now defeated Harry Truman for sored shelter made finan- needs of every family and
the Roosevelt that served cared for more than 65,000 president. cial sense. individual who comes to us
tourists just a few years ago asylum seekers — already As the city faces growing “They rent out every room seeking shelter.”
are being transformed into opening up over 140 emer- pressure to expand its shel- at the hotel at a certain Before the surge in asylum
emergency shelters, many gency shelters and eight ter system, it is turning to va- price every night,” Mar- seekers, the city was deal-
of them in prime locations large-scale humanitarian cant hotels for those who kowitz said, adding that ing with increased home-
within walking distance relief centers in addition to need a roof and a place it is bringing “substantially lessness, packed shelters
from Times Square, the this one to manage this na- to bunk down as they sort more revenue” than nor- and a dearth of afford-
World Trade Center me- tional crisis,” the mayor said out their lives. One of them mal operations would have able housing. New York
morial site and the Empire in a statement announcing is the Holiday Inn, located brought in. even announced a plan to
State Building. A legal man- the Roosevelt decision. in Manhattan’s Financial It’s not new for the city to send hundreds of migrants
date requires the city to The storied hotel near District. A few months ago, turn to hotels for New York- to hotels in suburban Or-
provide shelter to anyone Grand Central Terminal signs in the lobby windows ers without homes when ange and Rockland coun-
who needs it. served as election head- of the 50-story, 500-room shelters and other options ties across across the Hud-
Even so, Adams says the quarters for New York hotel said it was closed. weren’t available. son River, angering local
city is running out of room Gov. Thomas Dewey, who Scott Markowitz of Tarter During the pandemic, leaders.q

Oakland’s striking teachers and school district reach agreement

second week. “We are still portation, the community improve learning condi-
on strike, but momentum is schools grant, the Black tions and retain educators.
on our side,” the Oakland thriving community schools Other common-good de-
Education Association said initiative, and school clo- mands include providing
on Twitter Saturday night. sures, the Bay Area News more mental health sup-
The union representing Group reported. It was not port, fixing deteriorating
3,000 educators, counsel- immediately clear Sunday schools, and offering sub-
ors and other workers has morning how close the two sidized transportation for
maintained the district has sides were were on reach- low-income students.
failed to bargain in good ing a deal on the demands The strike comes at the end
faith on a new three-year still left on the table, partic- of the school year, which
contract that also makes ularly related to increased wraps up May 25. But the
more traditional demands compensation. district’s 80 schools have
like higher salaries. The strik- Superintendent Kyla John- remained open to the dis-
ing workers want their con- son-Trammell said in a mes- trict’s 34,000 students, with
Oakland Unified School District teachers, students and parents tract to also include provi- sage to parents last week meals being offered and
picket outside La Escuelita Elementary School on the fifth day on sions that address racial eq- that the district, the state’s office staff educating and
strike in Oakland, Calif., on Wednesday, May 10, 2023. uity, homelessness and en- 11th largest, is offering rais- supervising. Only about
Associated Press vironmental justice for stu- es of as much as 22% for 1,200 students have shown
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — ment on four “common dents. On Saturday night, some teachers. up to school since the
The Oakland Unified School good” provisions that had four of those demands had Teachers have maintained strike started May 4, district
District and striking teach- been sticking points during been agreed upon, relat- that adding support be- spokesperson John Sasaki
ers have reached agree- the walkout that is now in its ing to: housing and trans- yond the classroom would said last week.q