New Yorkers oppose using SUNY dorms to temporarily house new migrants to the state by a relatively substantial margin, 54% to 33%.
That’s according to a new survey for the Siena Research Institute. Pollster Steve Greenberg said the proposal to use dorms is opposed by more than three-quarters of Republicans and a majority of independents, while Democrats are evenly divided.
On a related issue, Greenberg said a plan by New York City Mayor Eric Adams to move some asylum seekers to other counties outside the city is also opposed by voters in the state, but by a narrower margin.
“Mayor Adams plans to relocate some migrants out of New York City to other counties into housing that would be paid for by New York City,” said Greenberg. “46% of New Yorkers oppose that idea, 40% support it.”
Another issue that got a lot of attention in the final days of this year’s legislative session in Albany involved ‘Clean Slate,’ the legislation that allows for the sealing of certain criminal records after a person has served their time.
The Siena Poll shows a mixed reaction from New Yorkers with a partisan divide. More Democrats favor the concept than oppose it, and the reverse is true for Republicans.
Another question on the recent poll was about next year’s presidential race. Greenberg said, “With more than a year till the presidential election, New York begins dark blue, with Biden holding a solid lead over Trump.”
But he also noted that about a third of Democrats, Republicans, and independents agree that they would like the 2024 ballot to not include either Biden or Trump.