BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York City’s Comptroller rejected a $432 million contract between the city’s housing department and DocGo — the group assigned to help asylum seekers with basic services and housing across the state and here in Western New York.
Brad Lander, the Comptroller of New York City, told 2 On Your Side that the organization, as a medical staffing provider, had no business receiving the contract. He also alleged that DocGo is seeking to make a profit off a humanitarian crisis.
It is the first time in his tenure that Lander rejected a contract during a time of emergency. It is also the highest-valued contract to cross his desk.
Lander acknowledged that DocGo’s services expand to Western New York, but at this point, he doesn’t anticipate any current asylum seekers going homeless — or the financial burden falling on taxpayers.
“All the funds that have been provided, that DocGo has forwarded to hotels to provide shelter, the city is going to wind up paying those after DocGo submits an invoice,” Lander said.
A spokesperson for DocGo responded in a statement to 2 On Your Side, discrediting the comptroller's accusations and also saying the organization has received assurance from the mayor's office that New York City intends to fully pay DocGo for the services delivered under this contract, both historically and going forward.
Meanwhile in Western New York, Erie County Executive Republican candidate Chrissy Casilio seized the moment to blast her opponent incumbent Mark Poloncarz — calling on the Poloncarz administration, which declined to comment on the matter, to take legal action against New York City and for the migrants to be bused back down state.
“Mark needs to do what he should have done months ago and pick up the phone and ask some questions of Mayor Eric Adams,” Casilio said. “Our compassion can be limitless, but our resources are not. The unfortunate reality is that it is time to reverse course.”
New York Mayor Eric Adams does have the ability to override this decision and effectively push through this contract — a move the comptroller said wouldn’t surprise him given the mayor’s public comments Wednesday.