Broome County Executive Jason Garnar announced an emergency order this week that will prohibit the use of New York City-issued housing vouchers in Broome County because of limited available housing.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced on Sept. 26 that city-funded vouchers issued to residents would be usable throughout New York state.

Vouchers are worth the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fair market rate for the county they’re used in, under the program’s guidelines. In Broome County, the city-issued vouchers would be worth $904 for a one-bedroom unit, which is significantly higher than county residents are eligible for through the Broome County Department of Social Services, the county executive’s office said in a statement. This difference could result in Broome County families getting priced out of their apartments, leading to increased homelessness locally, Garnar said.

The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment in New York City is $4,220, compared to just $725 in Broome County, according to the online rental property platform Zumper. That makes the vouchers significantly more “lucrative,” upstate, Garnar said.

Broome County is working with local and staff officials, along with local housing developers, to increase housing options with homelessness in the county — and around the country — on the rise.

“We have added hundreds of units over the past two years and we have projects in the pipeline that will add many more over the next few years,” Garnar said in a statement. “But all of these efforts won't make a dent if we allow NYC to get their way.”

Garnar had previously issued an emergency order that stopped large groups trying to move from New York City to Broome County. Last week, the Broome County Sherriff’s Office stopped a person trying to rent out blocks of 300 hotel units for up to three years, Garnar said.

New York City’s housing shortage has become more prominent over recent months with over 116,000 asylum seekers arriving in the city since last spring. Adams said last month the city had a record-high shelter population of over 113,000 people, and with the city’s shelters well past capacity, thousands of people have been left without affordable housing options. The housing vouchers are provided to eligible residents living in a homeless shelter or are at risk of becoming homeless.

“These reforms will give longtime New Yorkers the ability to move out of our city’s shelter system to other parts of the state with more affordable housing options,” Adams in a Sept. 26 statement announcing the expanded use of the vouchers. “We hope our partners across the state will greet these longtime New Yorkers with open arms and good job opportunities.”

Broome County, though, isn’t opening its doors.

“NYC's response to their housing problem is to send people somewhere else. Our response is to work together to find local solutions. While I continue to work with our community to reduce homelessness in Broome County, I will also use any means possible to stop NYC from harming our community,” Garnar said.