A Post-Storm Look at New York City Homelessness Efforts

Photo via The City

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There was much ado about the recent snowstorm that affected New York City (NYC) and the tri-state area. It brought 10 inches of snow to Central Park and dangerously low temperatures, making it the biggest storm NYC has experienced in 5 years. As some New Yorkers frantically stocked up on food and prepared to hunker down at home while the menacing conditions passed, many were not afforded the same comforts. 

17 people have been found dead in the city as a result of the brutal cold and extreme weather. Most, if not all, of these people were homeless. According to a 2025 report, homelessness has doubled in our increasingly expensive city. NYC is not the only city experiencing high rates of homelessness; this is a national struggle. Consequently, deaths from hypothermia, like those resulting from this recent storm, have occurred in other parts of the United States, even in milder climates like California.

In other cities outside the US where frigid temperatures are yearly problems, such as Toronto, there is not always enough space in warming centers for homeless individuals to be protected from the cold. However, recently elected New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) said that there was space in shelters for every person in need during the recent storm. So why did our city still lose numerous homeless New Yorkers?

Well, let’s look at the root of homelessness. In a PBS article about sources of chronic homelessness in the United States, both of the experts referenced in the article point to the “severe affordable housing shortage as the single largest driver for homelessness, chronic or otherwise.” Looking specifically at NYC, there is certainly an affordable housing shortage, and rents have risen tremendously. Shelter beds are important for the homeless during the winter, but the affordable housing shortage, being the ultimate cause of homelessness, requires more than a temporary fix. 

Mayor Mamdani has reflected this sentiment by stopping homeless encampment sweeps in the city, which often fail to connect New Yorkers to long-term housing solutions. Homeless sweeps are viewed by some as thoughtlessly pushing homeless people from one place to another. While some say they kept the streets more pleasant, encampments don’t leave an area for long before homeless people return. 

In any case, these short-term solutions are beneficial for neither housed New Yorkers nor homeless individuals. Providing permanent housing is more likely to address the issue of homelessness than creating more temporary shelters, especially when many avoid or do not go to shelters. Other quick fixes, like homeless sweeps, are meant to keep streets more attractive for housed New Yorkers. As stated by Councilmember Gale Brewer, encampment sites “weren’t raising public safety concerns.” But their ineffectiveness makes it clear that permanent housing would certainly be the best way to sustain street aesthetics and safety for longer than a few days. Thus, Mamdani’s statements about lasting change are promising, but are they actionable?

Mamdani has outlined plans not only for homelessness, but for its root cause: affordable housing shortages. He has vowed to fast-track developments of “publicly subsidized, permanently affordable, union-built, rent-stabilized homes, constructing 200,000 new units over the next 10 years” in addition to investing in the preservation of public housing. This large-scale public investment is a tall order for a city that has previously relied on private funding for affordable housing projects. What’s more, this ambitious plan will require major coordination across various city departments to push it through permitting and review processes and will require considerable labor, land, money, and political will. 

Mamdani wants to increase the amount of affordable housing available, but also the accessibility to this housing. He additionally pledged to create a new Department of Community Safety to shift outreach efforts away from police and toward peers who have shared experiences with the homeless. These plans are more feasible, but require affordable housing to be in place before they can take off. 

So while Mamdani’s efforts could usher in a wave of reform to address affordability and, subsequently, homelessness in NYC, their practicality is unclear. As we come out of the recent snowstorm and are still experiencing a “deep freeze,” Mamdani is continuing to open new shelter beds. These short-term efforts are necessary for now, but the current frigid temperatures are a reminder of the need for a foundational overhaul in how we address homelessness in NYC, one that is not abandoned when this deadly weather eventually thaws. Everybody deserves a safe place to settle, especially during times like this. New York City can hold out hope that Mamdani’s proposed solutions for permanent change are actionable, as they are only at the onset of their implementation, but if they are not, his ambitious plans will need to be reassessed. 

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This article was edited by Samantha Morales and Ella Keddy.