AM NY – The time limit policy, which caps the length of shelter stays for single adult newcomers at 30 days (recently, it had been dropped from 60 days), was introduced earlier this year as a means of freeing up shelter beds as thousands of migrants continue pouring into the city every week.

While introducing the bill at the council’s by-monthly meeting on Thursday, Hanif — a frequent critic of the mayor — blasted the so-called 30-day rule as “undeniably cruel.”

“Forcing people out of the shelter makes it harder to apply for asylum, TPS (Temporary Protected Status) and work permits due to address change and lack of stability,” Hanif said. “We need to be setting our new arrivals up for self-sufficiency, not kicking them to the street. And let’s be clear, street homelessness is the inevitable outcome of the 30-day rule.” [Read More]