“This information is essential to identify gaps, make smart investments, and create policies that help people build stable, secure lives,” said Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, the sponsor of both survey bills.
Last year, the City Council passed two bills (Local Laws 73 and 74) to survey the health needs and work obstacles of migrants staying in the city’s shelters. However, City Hall is behind schedule in meeting the deadlines set out in the laws.
Local Law 73 requires the city to conduct “a workforce survey of migrants, including recent arrivals and asylum seekers,” while Local Law 74 will focus on their health needs.
According to both pieces of legislation, case managers and on-site shelter staff should have received the survey by Nov. 1, 2024, and distributed it to migrants staying at the sites.
“The results of the survey shall be provided to the commissioner of the office or agency designated by the mayor upon completion no later than May 31, 2025,” the laws read.
But the surveys had not been finalized yet as of July 10, city officials told City Limits. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is preparing the health survey while the Mayor’s Office of Talent and Workforce Development is preparing the workforce survey, officials said.
Officials said the questionnaires are almost finished, and will start rolling out in the next few months, though did not provide a specific date.
“The development of studies of this magnitude take[s] time and deliberate coordinat[ion] across multiple city agencies to ensure that the survey is accurate, rigorously distributed and yields the necessary and reliable results needed,” a DOHMH spokesperson said.
According to the legislation, a mayor’s office or a designated agency is responsible for creating the surveys, overseeing the dissemination process, and compiling the data, in coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA).
When asked about the specific questions in the surveys, a spokesperson from the DOHMH didn’t give details, but said they will be based on the laws’ requirements.
Both the City Council and Councilwoman Carlina Rivera, the sponsor of the bills, said that their offices have contacted City Hall for the latest updates, but have received little information.
“The Council has made inquiries to understand the Administration’s current progress towards implementing Local Laws 73 and 74 of 2024,” a Council’s spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
“New York City has gained immense benefits from decades of successfully integrating immigrant New Yorkers and it is imperative that city government complies with Local Laws 73 and 74 to learn from this latest wave,” the spokesperson added.
Rivera’s office explained that the executive branch is responsible for administering the surveys, and said they have relied on the Council’s compliance unit for updates.
“I passed legislation to ensure we gather the critical data needed to understand how our city is supporting work permit applications, entrepreneurship, workforce development, and access to healthcare for our newest neighbors,” Councilmember Rivera said in a statement. “This information is essential to identify gaps, make smart investments, and create policies that help people build stable, secure lives.”
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Since Spring 2022, around 237,000 asylum seekers have arrived in New York, and more than 37,000 migrants are still being housed across 170 shelter sites.
Fewer than 100 new migrants entered the system during the week that ended June 22. That’s a major drop from two years ago, when the city saw an average of 4,000 new arrivals each week.
For months the city has been winding down its sprawling network of emergency shelters as a response to that decrease, incorporating most immigrants into the traditional Department of Homeless Services’ shelter system instead. Advocates have questioned whether people are still getting access to the specialized resources they need during the transition.
Although there are no penalties or sanctions for City Hall missing the laws’ legally stipulated deadlines, the Council said it hopes to understand the issues that affected implementation. When asked, a DOHMH spokesperson said that “there have not been any issues with carrying out this law or conducting surveys.”
According to the law, the mayor and Council speaker must receive a final report on the workforce and health surveys by Sept. 30, 2025. This report must include recommendations on policies and investments to support the economic well-being and success of migrants, as well as ways to identify and anticipate their health needs.
“We aim to submit this report by the local law deadline, September 2025,” a DOHM spokesperson said.
Rivera says the information is vital now as immigrants face increased federal enforcement and deportation risks.
“As the federal government pursues a radical anti-immigrant agenda that is expediting removals, denying constitutional rights, and disrupting lives and communities, we are counting on the Adams administration to administer these surveys and deliver a comprehensive report,” Rivera said.
“It is our responsibility to meet this moment with effective, and innovative policies that honor that legacy and ensure that all New Yorkers can thrive,” she added.
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