Mamdani announces the end of sweeps of New York City homeless encampments

New York Citys incoming Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has pledged to stop the citys practice of clearing homeless encampments, a significant shift from the policy of outgoing Mayor Eric Adams. Adams administration removed over 4,000 encampments but relocated very few residents into permanent housing.

Since last year, the Adams administration reportedly spent more than $6 million on efforts to dismantle encampments, forming a task force of police officers and city staff from homeless services, parks, and sanitation departments. This task force conducted over 4,100 sweeps, yet according to city records, very few individuals were transitioned to permanent housing through vouchers, supportive housing, or other placements.

Earlier reports indicated that while around 3,500 people were cleared from encampments, only 114 received shelter placements.

At a press conference, Mamdani, who assumes office on January 1, stated that sweeps would no longer continue. He emphasized, If you are not connecting homeless New Yorkers to the housing that they so desperately need, then you cannot deem anything you're doing to be a success.

Response from Homeless Advocates

The decision was welcomed by advocates, some of whom staged a demonstration outside the press event. Marcus Moore, who participated in the street protest, said, Sweeping people off the street and discarding their medical supplies does not solve the problem.

Mamdani plans to shift responsibility for homelessness away from law enforcement and into a new Department of Community Safety, which aims to prioritize housing solutions, whether supportive, rental, or other types of accommodations. He did not, however, outline how complaints about existing encampments will be handled.

Background on Adams Policy

Adams, concluding his single term, described tent cities as unsafe, unacceptable, inhumane houses and criticized living conditions in makeshift street shelters near highways, parks, and schools. A subsequent audit by New York City Comptroller Brad Lander found that homeless services faced difficulties in persuading people to accept temporary shelters, often due to mental health and substance use issues.

The audit suggested a reevaluation of the citys approach, though Adams administration defended the clean-up program as effective.

Author: Olivia Parker