NYC Mayor Adams offers to house migrants at Gracie Mansion amid growing crisis

The migrant crisis in New York City has become so dire that Mayor Adams says he’s now considering the possibility of housing asylum seekers inside Gracie Mansion.

Adams said he was open to using the mayor’s traditional residence as a temporary shelter on Tuesday — a day after floating the idea of housing migrants in private homes during an announcement that houses of worship will now help in the city’s efforts to provide shelter.

“I was speaking with the staff to see if I could put a few families into Gracie Mansion,” Adams said at an unrelated press conference on the Upper West Side. “I don’t have a problem if I can put a migrant family in Gracie Mansion because I want to lead from the front. That’s the type of leader I am.”

Over the last several months, Adams and his administration have scrambled to find temporary shelter for the thousands of migrants streaming into the city. The administration now estimates that more than 72,000 migrants have come to the city since last spring and has predicted the total price tag for taking care of them will hit $4.3 billion within a year’s time.

In his latest policy to address the crisis, Adams laid out a plan on Monday to house migrants at churches, mosques, synagogues and other houses of worship. He has also used public school gymnasiums, hotels north of the city and is pushing for the state court to narrow the right to shelter law to relieve pressure the city’s been under for months.

His latest idea to house migrants at Gracie Mansion came with a caveat, though. Adams told reporters Tuesday that he’d have to take into account “legal protocols” before going ahead with turning his home into an ad hoc homeless shelter.

“If it doesn’t go against legal protocols — because there are protocols that are in place — you know, I can’t use the building any way I want,” he said. “Generals don’t send their troops into battle and ask, ‘How’s the war?’ They lead troops into battle. I’m a general who leads my troops into battle. So yes, I’m more than willing to use whatever space I have to deal with this crisis.”

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.