Progress for Homeless New Yorkers Under Mayor Adams

Since Mayor Eric Adams took office, over 3,500 homeless individuals have exited the streets and subway systems of New York City, being placed into permanent homes. This was highlighted recently as a sign of the effectiveness of his “subway safety plan.”

According to city officials, more than 1,000 placements have originated directly from the subway system since early 2022, as part of the broader initiative to address ongoing homelessness, especially in transit areas.

This milestone is central to Adams’ new campaign called “End Anyty Anyny,” which aims to demonstrate how his administration is tackling public disability issues while expanding services for New Yorkers struggling with mental health and addiction.

The campaign underscores the administration’s current efforts to “change culture” and amend the laws that have historically hindered mentally ill individuals from seeking assistance. Alongside this, there’s also a focus on outreach, harm reduction, and housing support, as noted by Adams.

“From the start, we emphasized the need to build trust with the unsheltered population, whether they’re outdoors, in the subway, or in shelters,” Adams stated.

He remarked that “without our historic investment, this success wouldn’t have been possible.” The mayor acknowledged that while there is still more to be done, the era of ignoring troubled New Yorkers is over. He believes this achievement further shows that efforts are making NYC a safer and more affordable place.

Since launching a multi-agency subway safety initiative, the city has connected 8,600 people to various types of shelters, with over 1,000 now in permanent housing. The approach prioritizes outreach efforts to ensure those with serious mental health conditions are separated from the transit system.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) reported that this July marked the lowest crime rates in the subway since 1995, with an 8% decline in felonies compared to last month.

Adams also highlighted the city’s expanding network of shelter beds, which plans to provide an additional 400 safe shelter beds by the end of 2025, aimed at helping more individuals transition into permanent housing.

Since Adams assumed office, City Hall reported the addition of 1,600 new shelter beds. He introduced a $650 million plan in January to address homelessness, focusing on bringing mentally ill individuals off the streets and out of the subway.

This ambitious five-year plan is set to incorporate specialized facilities for housing and treating mentally ill New Yorkers, following an alarming series of attacks in the subway system.

City officials detailed a $13 million pilot program to develop a 100-bed supportive housing facility for those leaving psychiatric hospitals who may not yet be ready to live independently without ongoing treatment.

Additionally, the initiative will provide 900 “safe shelter” beds throughout the city to support those experiencing homelessness in transitioning to permanent housing. Another 100 beds are reserved to assist runaway and homeless youth aged 21-24.

The new “Bridge to Home” model will also create a home-like environment for patients with severe mental health issues at NYC Health + Hospitals. This program targets individuals ready for discharge but lacking a suitable home to return to, as stated by officials.