TODAY, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Molly Wasow Park announced the opening of a new Safe Haven shelter in Lower Manhattan to accommodate 106 New Yorkers in need of services. The shelter, which will be operated by longtime nonprofit service provider Breaking Ground, will serve exceptionally vulnerable New Yorkers, including older adults. The Mamdani administration accelerated the opening of the facility as a part of its ongoing work to bring homeless New Yorkers indoors to safe and warm locations during this historic cold snap.
"We are deploying every tool at our disposal to keep New Yorkers safe, warm, and indoors. This new facility in Lower Manhattan will help older and our most medically vulnerable New Yorkers get off the street and into stable shelter with the services that they need," said Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani. "City workers across the five boroughs are working overtime to provide services to those in need, clear the streets, pick up trash, and keep our city running. As the cold continues, I urge all New Yorkers to look out for your neighbors, call 311 if you see someone in need, and stay safe and warm indoors."
"We applaud Mayor Mamdani's strong commitment to supporting our most vulnerable New Yorkers and investing in housing solutions and resources that serve their unique needs," said DSS Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. "With the expedited opening of this site we are leaving no stone unturned in our response to the ongoing weather emergency and ensuring we are making all kinds of transitional housing options available for New Yorkers in need with the goal of meeting them where they are. We placed more than 1,000 New Yorkers in permanent homes from Safe Havens and stabilization bed sites last year, and we know they are an effective tool for addressing unsheltered homelessness. We look forward to working closely with the community to identify ways to collaboratively serve our neighbors in need as we build on the progress strengthening permanent housing outcomes for them."
This new facility will help support the need for dedicated resources to address the prevalence of unsheltered homelessness in lower Manhattan. Safe Havens are a type of low-barrier facility with smaller settings and is equipped with on-site services and staff who work closely with clients to build trust, stabilize lives, and encourage further transition off the streets and ultimately into permanent housing. These facilities are often the first step towards getting homeless New Yorkers inside and are specifically targeted to individuals who may be resistant to accepting other services.
"At a time when the need for safe, dignified housing has never been greater, we're grateful to our partners at the City for helping make this space possible," said Brenda Rosen, President and CEO of Breaking Ground. "With more than 35 years of work supporting people experiencing homelessness, we know that low-barrier transitional housing like this can be a critical first step toward stability, health, and hope. We look forward to providing much-needed services and remaining a strong partner to the local community."
"We applaud the administration for responding to the needs of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness by increasing the number of low barrier beds," said Kristin Miller, Executive Director at Homeless Services United (HSU). "This action will save lives and shows good governance by its quick response."
"BRC piloted the Safe Haven model back in 2006 as a way to appeal to those who felt the traditional shelter system was too restrictive. By implementing more flexible requirements, we were successfully able to help individuals others considered "service resistant" get off the street and ultimately transition into housing," said Kelly Quirk, Chief Operating Officer at Bowery Residents' Committee (BRC). "By fast tracking the opening of this facility, the Mamdani Administration is providing a much-needed and effective resource for New Yorkers experiencing chronic unsheltered homelessness."
"BronxWorks knows first-hand that safe havens provide a low barrier, dignified housing option for our most vulnerable neighbors. We applaud the efforts to open this site especially as the brutal cold and code blue status for New York City continues," said Eileen Torres, CEO, BronxWorks.
"We strongly support the City's decision to fast-track the opening of a new low-barrier Safe Haven shelter in Lower Manhattan," said David Giffen, Executive Director, Coalition for the Homeless. "The historic cold stretch has been made more deadly by the lack of safe, welcoming places for those living on the streets to come inside to find warmth and safety. For years, we have urged the City to increase the number of Safe Haven beds, particularly in Lower Manhattan where the need has been so great. The opening of this Safe Haven will make a positive difference in our community. Every neighborhood in New York City has a role to play in ensuring that unhoused New Yorkers have a safe alternative to the streets and subways."
The Mamdani administration also recently announced an emergency expansion of single-room-occupancy style shelter units in Upper Manhattan, and has made 20 overnight mobile warming units such as buses and vans available to provide warmth, medical care, and transport to warming centers, hospitals, or shelters as needed. Since January 19th, DSS outreach workers have made 980 placements of homeless New Yorkers into shelters, and the Mamdani administration has stepped up additional outreach efforts with agency and external partners.
New Yorkers who see someone in need of assistance should call 311, which will be directed to 911 during overnight hours. During the ongoing Code Blue emergency, outreach teams attempt to make contact with homeless New Yorkers every four hours, and first responders help respond to 311 calls for people in need of assistance on the street. Shelters have relaxed intake policies, and no one will be turned away.
