Some migrants experiencing challenges trying to obtain NYC shelter beds

NEW YORK (PIX11) -- As snow began to fall in New York City Friday afternoon, the temperature dipped.

With each passing hour, for dozens of adult migrants in the East Village, so did the chance to find a warm and dry place to sleep at night.  

This crowd, mostly West African men, all waited for a chance outside the St. Brigid reticketing site on East 7th Street, in order to get another shot at 30 days of city-sponsored shelter.

During the day, 34-year-old Anthony hangs out at the nearby Earth Church with several dozen other migrants, some of them wearing flip-flops in the winter weather. He said his nights spent sleeping on the street are not by choice.

"There's no space. In the shelter, there's no space," Anthony said through a translator.

As PIX11 News continues to chronicle the ins and outs of the migrant journey toward stability in their new homeland, we spent Friday exploring their access to temporary overnight waiting sites, as they seek out a shelter bed.

There are currently five migrant overnight waiting sites across New York City, each with limited capacity.

There’s only one in Manhattan, at the Church of the Intercession, which has a capacity of only 300 beds on a first-come, first-serve basis, and is only open from 8 p.m to 8 a.m.

It’s located in Washington Heights; a trip from the East Village which, according to Google Maps, involves taking three trains and a 21-minute walk.

"We have people from foreign countries who are navigating the MTA system. It's not easy for those of us who've live here for 30 years," said Earth Church’s pastor, the Rev. Billy Talen.

A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams told PIX11 News, “We have so far opened 216 sites citywide, in addition to those five overnight 'waiting' sites. We do provide transportation options, including Metro Cards, and there are sometimes buses available for transport at the end of each day. No one is saying this commute is ideal, but we are out of good options.”

In the East Village, Anthony continues to bide his time, often sleeping on the sidewalk as he waits for another shelter bed.

"They gave me that number nine days ago," said Anthony.

PIX11 News asked the mayor's spokesperson if the church in Washington Heights is currently the closest overnight waiting site to St. Brigid in the East Village, and then about sending in warming vans near the reticketing site to give the migrants a place to rest overnight.

The mayor's spokesperson responded: "All viable options are on the table."