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  • Share Your Space Survey to learn about a survey that identifies spaces in your community that could support City emergency operations or community outreach

If you are an asylum seeker who has just arrived in New York City, you can get free and confidential help at the Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center. You will need to schedule an appointment through NYC shelter staff or a community-based partner office.

The Center will connect you with services and resources, including but not limited to:

  • Health insurance enrollment
  • Healthcare services and appointments
  • Mental health counseling
  • School enrollment
  • Child services
  • Immigration legal services
  • IDNYC (Municipal Identification) enrollment

You can get some basic services at the Center. The Center can also connect you with providers and community-based organizations throughout the five boroughs of New York City.

Visit nyc.gov/asylumseekers for more information.

Eligibility

To be eligible for services and referrals, you must:

  • Provide U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement paperwork showing that you entered the U.S. Southwest Border on or after January 1, 2022,
  • Currently live in New York City, and
  • Make an appointment with the Center

The Center is open to anyone who meets those three requirements. You do not need to live in a New York City shelter to access these services.

Appointments

At the appointment, you will have an interview. It will be:

  • Fully confidential
  • In your preferred language
  • With a trained case manager

The case manager will help identify your needs and connect you to services, resources, and information.

The Center is located at:

American Red Cross
520 West 49th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues)
New York, NY 10019
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9 AM - 5PM. Closed on weekends and major holidays.

Appointments can be made through staff at:

  • NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Shelters
  • NYC Department of Education Schools
  • NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene Sites
  • NYC Health+Hospitals Sites

The following Community Partners are also scheduling appointments:

The Road Forward

You can download "The Road Forward" which explains New York City’s response to the asylum seeker crisis and its causes.

Download "The Road Forward: A Blueprint to Address NYC's Response to the Asylum Seeker Crisis."

The City opened Humanitarian Emergency Response and Relief Centers to help the hundreds of asylum seekers arriving in New York City. NYC's Emergency Management and Health and Hospitals, partnered with other city agencies, will provide this support.

At these relief centers, newly arrived asylum seekers can get:

  • Shelter
  • Food
  • Medical care
  • Case work services
  • Settlement options

Settlement options include connections to family and friends inside and outside of New York City. If needed, the centers can refer asylum seekers to other emergency supports or city shelter.

Asylum seekers who do not or cannot find immediate housing will stay at these relief centers for a period of time. The City will make sure asylum seekers understand their options and can get to their desired destination.

Contact a Relief Center

You can contact a relief center to leave a message for an asylum seeker that is staying there. You can also report lost or found items.

Please note that relief centers cannot confirm or deny if an individual is staying at one of the centers. 

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) for assistance by phone.

You can donate cash to the United Way of New York City relief organization to help support the needs of asylum seekers entering New York City. 

You can also get information on where to donate:

  • New clothing
  • Toiletries
  • Hygiene items

Find a drop off location or submit a donation through the United Way of New York City's website.

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