Mayor’s Late Move on Homelessness Raises Concerns

It seems that Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s recent decision to address a homeless camp near the Intrepid Museum has arrived a bit too late. While intended to improve the situation, it hasn’t effectively kept individuals off the streets or hidden from view.

Many squatters on the West Side are taking down their tents before police can arrive, relocating their camps, and, in some cases, avoiding aid workers who have been deployed as part of Mamdani’s “more humane” strategy regarding homelessness.

One individual, 42-year-old Jennifer, who struggles with crystal meth addiction, expressed her preference for street life over staying in a shelter. “I feel safer in the shelter, but I feel freer on the streets,” she shared, pointing out the restrictions that come with living in a shelter. “There are rules and you have to be back by a specific time. Who wants to deal with that?”

The ongoing presence of filthy encampments from the Intrepid Museum to the Javits Center has been alarming local residents and visitors alike. Yet, Mamdani’s homelessness policy has limited the NYPD’s ability to clear these sites, insisting on a wait period for outreach efforts.

This week, the city finally attempted to clear some camps, but many vagrants were seen quickly packing up and moving before the police arrived. In one instance, police officers observed sanitation workers removing foam pads and needles from an encampment at 34th Street and 11th Avenue.

“This is our third attempt today,” one officer remarked. “We’re doing our best.” Although camps have been removed from certain areas, those who were living there have simply relocated to other streets nearby.

A local grocer voiced frustration, saying, “They didn’t really move; they just set up somewhere else. The situation is frustrating. The city’s not doing enough.”

In another location further down West 24th Street, a new camp had emerged, with individuals playing loud music and someone lying unconscious on the ground.

There’s no clear way to track the number of camps throughout the city because reporting relies on complaints. The city’s approach also lacks oversight for those who refuse available shelter services.