New York City has seen an influx of approximately 100,000 migrants in the past year and is currently housing more than 58,000 migrants in City shelters. The city has utilized areas such as soccer fields, recreation centers, and parking lots to house migrants, but lacks additional space and resources to meet current needs. The influx of migrants has led to overcrowding in existing facilities, instances of migrants being forced to sleep on sidewalks and other public areas, and in some cases unsanitary conditions. Taken together, the situation has resulted in threats to health and safety of migrants and others. The State of New York has declared a Disaster Emergency because of the large number of migrants and opened a shelter in the Floyd Bennett Field. This site features open fields creating a space for migrants to seek shelter.
All-Set Aid is a center that organizes a structured system to house migrants and displaced persons, but also seeks to achieve a place for their authority to exist and create their own shelter. All-Set Aid centers aim to celebrate materiality for self-expression. It welcomes a field of creativity creating a safe haven community. It bridges the center’s structured response with autonomy of assembling and social integration.
