Mamdani reboots homeless encampment sweeps in New York City

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday that the city will resume clearing homeless encampments across the five boroughs, implementing what he describes as a more compassionate approach than his predecessor’s controversial policy.

The decision marks a notable shift for Mamdani, who suspended former Mayor Eric Adams’ encampment clearing operations shortly after taking office in January. At the time, Mamdani criticized the previous administration’s methods for failing to effectively transition homeless individuals into stable housing situations.

“We will meet them looking to connect them with shelter, looking to connect them with services, looking to connect them with a city that wants them to be sheltered and indoors and warm and safe,” Mamdani said at a press conference. “That is something that I believe will yield far better results.”

The mayor’s announcement comes amid a devastating cold spell that has claimed at least 19 lives of people found outdoors across New York City. While the mayor’s office indicated there is no evidence that any of these individuals were living in encampments specifically, the deaths have intensified scrutiny of the city’s homelessness response strategies.

These fatalities have presented an early and significant challenge for the Mamdani administration, prompting questions about the city’s preparedness and the new mayor’s managerial capabilities. Critics have pointed to Mamdani’s relative lack of executive experience as a potential factor in the city’s response to the crisis.

Under the new protocol, the Department of Homeless Services will lead encampment clearances instead of the New York Police Department, which spearheaded many operations during the Adams administration. City officials will post advance notice at encampment locations and deploy outreach workers daily for a week before any site is dismantled.

The mayor’s office detailed that this weeklong engagement period is designed to provide consistent opportunities for homeless individuals to connect with social services and shelter options. On the seventh day, sanitation workers will dismantle remaining encampment structures, with police present only as observers, according to a city spokesperson.

The Adams administration had made encampment sweeps a cornerstone of its public safety and quality-of-life initiatives. While those operations did prevent many encampments from being re-established, data showed that only a small percentage of displaced individuals accepted temporary shelter placements, raising questions about the program’s effectiveness.

David Giffen, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, expressed sharp criticism of Mamdani’s decision, saying the advocacy organization was “blindsided” by the announcement.

“This is clearly a political response that will do little to help homeless New Yorkers,” Giffen said. He warned that the renewed clearing operations could damage trust between outreach workers and the unsheltered population, potentially making future intervention efforts more difficult.

“When a city worker shows up and throws out all your belongings, you’re not going to trust that person the next time they show up offering you a place to sleep inside,” Giffen added, suggesting this could lead to more fatalities during extreme weather events.

The mayor’s decision has received support from some city officials, including City Council Speaker Julie Menin, who called it “an important step forward.”

“Allowing New Yorkers to stay on the street during extreme weather is inhumane,” Menin said in a statement. She noted that recent City Council oversight hearings had highlighted the need for a reevaluation of encampment policies, emphasizing that “protecting lives must remain our top priority.”

The resumption of encampment clearings reflects the complex challenges facing New York City as it grapples with a persistent homelessness crisis amid extreme weather events and changing political leadership. How this revised approach will differ in practice and outcomes from previous efforts remains to be seen in the coming weeks and months.