New York City has been a site of immigration throughout its history, leading to great diversity today. Wherever someone is from in the world, they are likely to find a strong community of people with similar experiences. For these and many other reasons, many people who seek asylum in the US choose to do so here. However, it is also one of the most expensive places in the world to live. People awaiting judgement on their asylum application in NYC usually live in the homeless shelter system. To offer more safety and comfort, help us welcome into our home people struggling through the bureaucratic hurdles our country has put in place while dealing with life threatening situations in their home countries.

People who seek asylum are escaping real danger, persecution, abuse, and/or torture. Read more about who they are  and some of the concerns they may be dealing with . Our government structures complicate their experiences: people who are awaiting judgement on their asylum applications are not allowed to work, get no assistance for housing or food, and need sponsors to pledge to help them. View a quick overview of the process of asylum application here. While they are getting on their feet in the US, we will welcome them into private/cooperative homes to provide them a safe place to live, eat, and build some social connections.

The needs of asylum seekers don't end during the pandemic. In fact, immigration courts are some of the only parts of daily life that are still up and running. We hope that the unprecedented experience of COVID-19 doesn't lengthen the asylum application process or extend the waiting time for working papers, but we are committed to helping asulum seekers during this freightening time.