WELCOME TO THIS WEEK'S EDITION OF "NEW YORK NOW."

I'M DAN CLARK.

NEW YORK GOVERNOR KATHY HOCHUL IS NOW PLAYING OFFENSE ON NEW YORK'S INFLUX OF ASYLUM SEEKERS.

UP UNTIL THIS WEEK, HOCHUL'S STRATEGY ON THE CRISIS HAD MOSTLY BEEN REACTIVE, TRYING TO RESPOND AS PROBLEMS POPPED UP.

AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY OF THEM SINCE THIS ALL STARTED.

IT WAS JUST ONE YEAR AGO THIS MONTH THAT REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS STARTED BUSING MIGRANTS SEEKING ASYLUM FROM THEIR STATES UP TO NEW YORK CITY AND BEFORE THEY ARRIVED, CITY AND STATE OFFICIALS HAD NO IDEA THEY WERE COMING.

SO WHEN THEY STARTED TO SHOW UP, NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS AND CITY OFFICIALS QUICKLY SCRAMBLED TO FIND THEM HOUSING, FOOD, AND OTHER BASIC NEEDS BUT ONE YEAR LATER, THE SITUATION HAS EXPLODED.

SINCE THAT FIRST BUS LOAD, MORE THAN 100,000 PEOPLE SEEKING ASYLUM HAVE ARRIVED IN NEW YORK, AND THE STATE HAS ASKED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR HELP, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED.

SO THIS WEEK, GOVERNOR KATHIE HOCHUL SENT A LETTER TO PRESIDENT BIDEN BASICALLY SAYING HIS ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO STEP UP AND HELP THE STATE WITH THIS SITUATION.

TO LEVEL WITH NEW YORKERS, THERE ARE MUCH-NEEDED CHANGES AT THE BORDER, THERE DOES NOT BE A SOLUTION TO THIS FEDERAL PROBLEM ANYTIME SOON.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I NEED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY.

THIS CRISIS ORIGINATED WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND IT MUST BE RESOLVED THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

NOW SINCE THIS CRISIS STARTED, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS PRETTY MUCH STAYED OUT OF IT, BOTH THE GOVERN PERT MAYOR HAVE BEEN TO WASHINGTON TO PUSH THE ISSUE WITH LITTLE SUCCESS.

AND SO HAS ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CARL HEASTIE, A DEMOCRAT FROM THE BRONX.

WE SPOKE THIS WEEK ABOUT THE ASYLUM SEEKERS, THE STATE'S HOUSING CRISIS AND MORE.

[ THEME MUSIC ] SPEAKER HEASTIE, THANKS FOR COMING INTO THE STUDIO.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

MY PLEASURE.

GOOD TO SEE YOU.

SO YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN UPSTATE TOUR.

DO YOU THIS EVERY YEAR.

WANT TO ASK YOU HOW IT'S GOING?

FIRST, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

IT'S AMAZING.

AS IT'S BEEN EVERY YEAR-- WE'VE DONE IT EVERY YEAR EXCEPT FOR 2020 AND THE YEAR OF COVID.

RIGHT.

SO I'VE BEEN IN LONG ISLAND.

I'VE BEEN IN HUDSON VALLEY AND I'M STARTING THE UPSTATE-- THE UPSTATE PART OF IT THIS WEEK, AND I WAS IN BUFFALO LAST WEEK AS WELL.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE PART OF THIS TOUR EVERY YEAR?

I KNOW IT'S LIKE PICKING YOUR FAVORITE CHILDREN.

I'M NOT GOING TO LET YOU SAY THE BRONX.

LISTEN, NEW YORK IS A BEAUTIFUL STATE AND IT JUST HAS-- IT SEEMS LIKE EACH PART OF THE STATE HAS ITS OWN, LIKE, I'D SAY BEAUTY, BUT IF YOU ASK ME, LIKE WHAT WAS THE PART OF THE STATE THAT STRUCK ME THE MOST WAS PROBABLY ITHACA WITH THE GORGEOUS-- THE GORGEOUS, GORGEOUS WAS THE PLACE THAT STRUCK ME, IT WAS THE MOST STUNNING PART.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL STATE.

YEAH.

I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF IT.

I LOVE GOING TO THE ADIRONDACKS MYSELF.

WHEREVER THERE'S WATER, I LOVE TO BE THERE SO I CAN SEE WHY ITHACA WOULD BE GREAT.

SO WHEN YOU'RE OUT TALKING TO PEOPLE, WHAT DO PEOPLE TELL YOU?

BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE ASSEMBLY SPEAKER IS VISITING THEIR AREA, YOU'RE PRIMARILY, I THINK, MEETING WITH THE ELECTEDS AND SOME LEADERS FROM THOSE AREAS, BUT WHAT ARE YOU HEARING ON THIS TOUR?

IT'S ALWAYS LIKE I'D SAY DEALER'S CHOICE.

THE MEMBER DECIDES WHAT THEY LIKE ME TO SEE, MAYBE WHAT WE COULD BE HELPFUL WITH, INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.

YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHILDREN.

WE WERE IN BUFFALO LAST WEEK TRYING TO ASSIST WITH BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF AMERICA.

SO IT'S LIKE BREAD AND BUTTER TO CORE ISSUES THAT FAMILIES ARE GOING THROUGH.

THE IDEA OF THIS TOUR IS TO KIND OF TAKE ALL THIS AND KIND OF PUT IT INTO ACTION IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE ACTION IS WHAT I'M ASSUMING.

I'D SAY TWO THINGS.

ONE-- BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S LOCAL ISSUES THAT MAYBE THE ASSEMBLY-- THE ASSEMBLY MEMBER HAS SAID WE MAY NEED SOME OF THE MEDIA TO HELP BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS US TO DO LONG-TERM PLANNING ON THINGS THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AND I REMEMBER WHEN THE FIRST YEAR I DID THE TOUR, I WAS IN-- IT WAS THEN IT WAS ROBIN SHERMAN'S DISTRICT, SO IT'S ASSEMBLYMAN CONRAD NOW.

HE HAD POINTED TO THESE TWO LARGE SMOKE STACKS THAT WERE FROM A PLANT THAT WAS NO LONGER IN SERVICE AND THEN WHEN HE BROUGHT IT UP IN CONFERENCE, I HAD A VISUAL TO REMEMBER TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO TO HELP COMMUNITIES WHO HAD LOST, YOU KNOW, BIG TIME PROPERTY TAX IN THESE BUSINESSES.

SO IT DOES GIVE ME A VISUAL THAT I NOW KNOW WHAT THE MEMBER IS REFERENCING.

I THINK THE BIG ISSUE IN THE NEWS CYCLE RIGHT NOW IS THE INFLUX OF ASYLUM SEEKERS INTO THE STATE.

WHAT ARE YOU HEARING FROM YOUR MEMBERS ON THIS TOUR ABOUT THAT?

IS EVERYBODY PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT?

ARE THERE OTHER CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING ABOUT MOVING PARTS THERE?

I THINK, AS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, IMMIGRATION, ASYLUM SEEKERS, THE MIGRANT CRISIS IS A FEDERAL ISSUE, BUT I THINK PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE GOT HERE.

YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE IT WAS A COORDINATED EFFORT FROM REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS TO OVERWHELM DEMOCRATIC CITIES AND DEMOCRATIC STATES, AND NOW WITH A REPUBLICAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, IT'S GOING TO VERY DIFFICULT TO GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO BE HELPFUL BECAUSE I THINK THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IS HAPPY TO HAVE THIS AS AN ELECTION ISSUE.

THE SAME WAY THEY ARE WITH WHEN WE TRIED TO STOP THE ILLEGAL FLOW OF GUNS, SO THEY CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE THE CRIME ISSUE, BUT WE SHOULDN'T BE PLAYING POLITICS.

YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ASYLUM SEEKERS AND AT SOME POINT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL MAKE THE DETERMINATION OF THEIR STATUS.

I THINK IN THE MEANTIME, THIS SHOULD NOT BE USED, YOU KNOW, FOR POLITICS.

DO YOU THINK THERE'S A WAY TO FLIP IT ON ITS HEAD?

WHEREAS, THE REPUBLICANS WILL USE TO KNOCK YOUR MEMBERS IN RE-ELECTION, IS THERE A WAY TO TURN IT TO SAY WE ARE THE PARTY HELPING THEM AND MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT?

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.

WE'RE TRYING TO HANDLE A DIFFICULT SITUATION, BUT AS I'VE BEEN TELLING PEOPLE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CAN WRITE BIG CHECKS.

THE STATE CAN WRITE SMALL CHECKS.

SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT WE CAN, BUT WE DO NEED HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

YOU KNOW, IF THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE, THEY DON'T WANT TO SEND HELP BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP THIS ALIVE AS A POLITICAL ISSUE.

HOW PRESENT DOES THIS FEEL TO YOU RIGHT NOW SEEING THAT YOU'RE OUTSIDE OF THE LEGISLATION SESSION?

THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO AS A LEGISLATURE UNLESS YOU WERE TO GAVEL INTO SESSION AND DO SOMETHING, BUT I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO TO KIND OF COORDINATE THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

.

DO YOU SEE ANY OPTIONS THERE?

THE ISSUES AT HAND IS WHERE CAN WE HOUSE THE ASYLUM SEEKERS?

I THINK THAT ISSUE, AND ALSO THE OTHER ISSUE THAT WE'RE STILL HOPING, RECENTLY MY LAST CONVERSATION WITH CHUCK SCHUMER, TRYING TO ALLOW THE ASYLUM SEEKERS TO WORK.

BUSINESSES ALL ACROSS THIS STATE ARE ASKING-- ARE ASKING FOR IT.

THEY NEED THE EMPLOYEES.

I THINK THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, HELP THE SITUATION.

SOMETIMES EVEN WHEN YOU'RE NOT IN SESSION, YOU STILL HAVE THE BULLY PULPIT OF ADVOCACY TO THOSE, THE SAME WAY I DID WHEN I WAS DOWN IN WASHINGTON MEETING WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, ASKING TO LET THE ASYLUM SEEKERS BE ABLE TO WORK.

SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THAT, BUT WE DO NEED SPACES AND PLACES AND RESOURCES.

THE GOVERNOR IN THE PAST MONTH HAS SAID THAT THIS WILL CAUSE A FINANCIAL STRAIN ON THE STATE.

IT'S ALREADY STRAINING THE CITY.

HOW DIFFICULT DO YOU THINK THAT MAKES NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS?

IT'S OBVIOUSLY A LONG WAY OFF.

I'M ASSUMING THAT'S GOING TO BE A BIG PARTED OF IT.

DO YOU SEE THAT REALLY COMPLICATING THINGS?

IT'S LIKE WE HAD TO PUT RESOURCES INTO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR.

LIKE I SAID BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THIS IS A COORDINATED EFFORT BY REPUBLICAN GOVERNORS TO MAKE THIS A FINANCIAL PROBLEM FOR DEMOCRATIC STATES.

THEY HAVE SUCCEEDED.

I DON'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT IT'S IN THE EVEN A BELIEF.

I WOULD SAY THEY HAVE SAID THAT THEY INTENTIONALLY SENT THESE MIGRANTS TO NEW YORK CITY BECAUSE THEY ESSENTIALLY WANT THE CITY TO BE OVERWHELMED LIKE THIS FOR POLITICAL REASONS.

THAT'S WHAT I'M HOPING THAT THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK UNDERSTAND THAT AND THE FACT THAT THEY-- THE CITY HAS BEEN OVERWHELMED AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO ASSIST-- TO ASSIST THE CITY AND SO YES, THERE WILL BE A FINANCIAL STRAIN AND THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE TO THIS COUNTRY SEEKING HELP WHILE THEIR DETERMINATION OF THEIR STATUS WILL BE FIGURED OUT BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN AND NOT-- AND WORK WITH LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHO-- LIKE THOSE WHO HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN, SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS.

SO LIKE I SAID, I BELIEVE WE'LL DO THE BEST WE CAN.

WE'RE NEW YORKERS.

WE ALWAYS DO THAT.

BUT WE STILL NEED HELP FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, WE MAY NOT GET THAT HELP UNTIL THE POLITICS OF WASHINGTON CHANGES.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S IN ANY INTEREST OF THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE TO ASSIST ANY OF THE DEMOCRATIC STATES IN THE HANDLING THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF ASYLUM SEEKERS.

RIGHT.

I THINK AN ISSUE LIKE THIS IS LIKE A WHOLE TICKET ISSUE.

I DON'T THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT ANY MEMBER OF YOUR PARTY CAN KIND OF GET AWAY FROM IN THE NEXT ELECTION.

THAT BEING SAID, IT'S AN ELECTION YEAR NEXT YEAR OBVIOUSLY.

YOU'LL HAVE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.

YOU EITHER SEE TWO SCENARIOS IN AN ELECTION YEAR.

EITHER IT'S A REALLY BORING SESSION OR IT'S A REALLY EXCITING SESSION BECAUSE YOU WANT TO PUMP THINGS UP AND HAVE THINGS TO CAMPAIGN ON.

DO YOU SEE THAT AS NEXT YEAR BEING A MORE BORING OR EXCITING?

I THINK WITH BETWEEN HOUSING AND THE INFLUX OF ASYLUM SEEKERS, YOU HAVE PLENTY TO DO.

IS THERE ANY WAY YOU WANT TO PLAY IT TO GIVE YOU YOUR MEMBERS THE BEST ADVANTAGE?

WHEN WE DO THE BUDGET, WE ALWAYS TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE POLITICS.

THERE'S A TIME FOR CAMPAIGNS AND A TIME FOR POLITICS, BUT THE HOUSING CRISIS IS A-- IT IS A CRISIS, BUT I THINK THAT EVERYONE WHO'S INTERESTED IN AN OUTCOME, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE COMPROMISE.

NOWHERE IN GOVERNMENT DOES ANYONE GET EVERYTHING THEY WANT, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY WANT IT, AND I THINK THAT BOTH SIDES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY BECAUSE IF PEOPLE ARE STANDING IN THEIR NEUTRAL CORNERS, THIS CRISIS WILL CONTINUE SO I DO THINK WE NEED TO DO ALL WE CAN TO BUILD MORE HOUSING, INCLUDING ENCOURAGING HOME OWNERSHIP, SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE GENERATIONAL WEALTH, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO PROTECT TENANTS AS WELL.

PEOPLE ARE LEAVING NEW YORK BECAUSE IT'S TOO EXPENSIVE TO BE HERE.

EVEN THE GOVERNOR'S PLAN THAT WANTED TO BUILD 800,000 UNITS OF HOUSING OVER 10 YEARS, THAT DOESN'T HELP THE TENANT RIGHT NOW WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING TO AFFORD THE HIGH COST, YOU KNOW, OF RENT.

THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS THAT HAVE LEFT ARE ALARMING BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO PAY THESE HIGH RENTS FOR SUCH A SMALL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF PLACEMENT.

OTHER STATES ARE WELCOMING THEM WITH OPEN ARMS.

IT REMINDS ME OF THE STORY IN THE "NEW YORK TIMES" ABOUT THE FAMILY WHO TURNED THEIR LIVING ROOM INTO A BEDROOM FOR THEIR THREE CHILDREN, AND THEY MOVED OUT, I BELIEVE TO ATLANTA, AND THEY HAVE A HUGE SPACE AND A YARD FOR THEIR CHILDREN.

SO IF WE DON'T START TO ARREST THIS PROBLEM, IT'S ONLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO EXACERBATE.

YEAH, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ANYBODY AFFORDS RENT IN NEW YORK CITY.

UP HERE, MY RENT IS CHALLENGING, TOO.

MY LANDLORD, GOOD GUY, HASN'T RAISED IT IN FIVE YEARS.

THANK GOODNESS.

THAT'S NOT THE CASE IN NEW YORK CITY.

YOU SEE PEOPLE HAVING THEIR RENTS RAISED BY $700.

HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO PAY THAT?

YOU HAVE TO GET ANOTHER JOB.

IT'S UNSUSTAINABLE.

ON THE HOUSING CONVERSATION, HAVE YOU MADE ANY PROGRESS THERE BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE GOVERNOR?

DID YOU HAVE ANY CONVERSATIONS IN SESSION?

I'D SAY WE HAVE LIKE MACRO DISCUSSIONS.

WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS I WOULD SAY ON THE MINUTIA.

IF YOU ASKED ME, WHAT ARE THE TWO BIG LINCHPINS THAT HAS TO HAPPEN IS I THINK THERE HAS TO BE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, SOME FORM OF AN INCENTIVE-BASED HOUSING PROGRAM BUT IT ALSO HAS TO BE COUPLED WITH TENANT PROTECTS.

SO I THINK WHEN THOSE TWO THINGS COME TOGETHER, I THINK YOU'LL START TO SEE I'D SAY MOVEMENT AND THEN I'D SAY IN THE SUBURBS, AS I'VE TOURED THE STATE AS WELL, MANY OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES HAVE JUST SAID THEY UNDERSTAND THEY HAVE TO DO THEIR SHARE.

THEY JUST WANT TO HAVE PARTICIPATION IN DEALING WITH HAVING THE HOUSING DONE, THAT'S WHEN I WAS IN WESTCHESTER.

IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING ISSUE.

HOUSING IS SOMETHING I HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT TOO MUCH ABOUT UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN THE GOVERNOR MADE THE BILLING PUSH.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW IT PLAYS OUT.

THIS COULD BE THE BIGGEST HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN THE STATE'S HISTORY.

IT COULD BE SOMETHING HUGE.

BUT A LOT OF MOVING PARTS THERE THAT WE WILL LOOK INTO NEXT YEAR.

ASSEMBLY SPEAKER CARL HEASTIE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

ANYTIME, DAN.

ALWAYS GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

[ THEME MUSIC ] THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION IN NEW YORK WILL START IN JANUARY, BUT MOVING ON NOW TO