During extreme cold, NYC will expand warming centers, homeless outreach
Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office on Flickr
New York City is stepping up efforts to protect its most vulnerable residents amid this week’s extreme cold. On Tuesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced 10 new warming centers, 10 warming buses, and expanded outreach to help connect people experiencing homelessness with shelter. The measures come as at least 10 New Yorkers have been found dead outdoors amid potentially life-threatening cold, with wind chills expected to reach 9 degrees below zero by Wednesday morning, according to NBC New York.
While Mamdani said it is not yet clear whether each of the 10 deaths will be ruled hypothermia, he urged all New Yorkers to stay alert and check on their neighbors.
Mamdani said the city remains in “Code Blue,” which entails expanded outreach, including around-the-clock checks and temporarily relaxed shelter intake policies to accommodate as many New Yorkers as possible. Additionally, 311 calls are being rerouted to 911 to ensure faster response.
Reminding New Yorkers that the city is experiencing its coldest weather in eight years, the mayor said the conditions require additional precautions on top of Code Blue.
“Here’s the bottom line, New York City: extreme weather is not a personal failure, but it is a public responsibility,” Mamdani said. “If we have the resources to act, we have the obligation to act. We are mobilizing every resource at our disposal to ensure that New Yorkers are brought indoors during this potentially lethal weather event.”
Mamdani said the city has launched a new emergency protocol to bolster its efforts, including deploying staff every few hours to canvas nearby blocks and engage people in need. This effort draws on existing shelter staff as well as local faith-based organizations.
The city is also partnering with advocates and volunteers, including the Street Homeless Advocacy Project, to conduct extra shifts in high-need areas. Hospitals have been asked to limit overnight discharges to ensure that those with nowhere to go are kept indoors.
Since Friday, the city has opened 10 new warming shelters and, on Monday night, added seven Health + Hospitals centers across all five boroughs. In addition to warming buses already in operation, 10 more have been deployed at key locations across the city.
Overnight outreach by city workers has been expanded, with staff receiving paid overtime so people experiencing homelessness can continue to be connected to warmth. Eight Street Health Outreach & Wellness (SHOW) vans are operating during late-night and early-morning hours to transport individuals indoors and provide temporary shelter.
Finally, the city is coordinating with the state to redeploy mental health teams for life-saving street and subway outreach. New Yorkers seeking information on the locations of the new warming centers are encouraged to call 311.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Mamdani was asked about the potential use of involuntary removals to bring unhoused individuals into shelter, a practice he has previously criticized. Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park responded that it would be used “only in situations where there is no other option.”
Mamdani emphasized that the city would not leave anyone out in the cold if they are “a danger to themselves or to others,” calling that principle the guiding force behind such decisions. He also noted that involuntary removal is considered a “last resort.”
City agencies continue clearing streets to ensure safe access for vehicles and pedestrians. Deputy Mayor for Operations Julie Kerson said that as of Tuesday morning, the Department of Transportation had cleared 75 percent of bus stops with shelters, while the Department of Sanitation is managing a workforce of more than 1,000 staff actively clearing sidewalks and bus stops without shelters.
According to Kerson, on Monday, the agencies reached 1,800 bus stops, 6,000 crosswalks, and 1,800 fire hydrants. She noted that the absence of the typical warmer weather that usually follows snowstorms requires additional manual cleaning and said the city would deploy more resources while asking residents for patience.
The city’s warming shelters and buses can be found below:
The Bronx
Warming spaces:
- H+H Clinic – Gotham Belvis
545 East 142nd Street
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - H+H Clinic – Gotham Morrisania
1225 Gerard Avenue
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Lincoln Hospital
234 East 149th Street
Open 24/7
Warming buses are parked outside the following locations:
- Dewitt Clinton High School
100 Moshulu Parkway
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Jacobi Hospital
1400 Pelham Parkway South
Bus in front of the building. Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - North Central Bronx Hospital
3424 Kossuth Avenue
Bus is in front of the main entrance. Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Brooklyn
Warming spaces:
- H+H Clinic – Gotham Cumberland
100 North Portland Avenue
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - H+H Clinic – Gotham East New York
2094 Pitkin Avenue
Open 7 p.m to 7 a.m. - Kings County Hospital
451 Clarkson Ave
Open 24/7 - South Brooklyn Hospital
2601 Ocean Parkway
Open 24/7
Warming vehicles are parked outside the following locations:
- 16 Bedford Place
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Coney Island – Stillwell Avenue Subway Station
Open 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. - Flatbush Avenue – Brooklyn College Subway Station
Open 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. - Woodhull Hospital
760 Broadway
Bus is directly outside the emergency room on Flushing Avenue. Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Manhattan
Warming spaces:
- Bellevue Hospital
462 1st Ave
Open 24/7 - H+H Clinic – Gotham Gouverneur
227 Madison Street
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Harlem Hospital
506 Lenox Avenue
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Warming vehicles are parked outside the following locations:
- Inwood-207 Street Subway Station
Open 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. - Jackie Kennedy High School
120 West 46th Street
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Mainchance Drop-In Center
120 East 32nd Street
Open 24/7 - Metropolitan Hospital
1901 First Avenue
Bus is directly in front of the building at 97th Street and 1st Avenue. Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Olivieri Drop-In Center
257 West 30th Street
Open 24/7 - Paul’s Place Drop-In Center
114 West 14th Street
Open 24/7 - Penn Station
Open 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. - South Ferry
Whitehall and Stone Streets
Open 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Queens
Warming spaces:
- Elmhurst Hospital
79-01 Broadway
Open 24/7 - H+H Clinic – Gotham Roosevelt
37-50 72nd Street
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - Queens Hospital
82-68 164th Street
Open 24/7
Warming vehicles are parked outside the following locations:
- Queens Drop-In Center
100-32 Atlantic Avenue
Open 24/7 - Union Hall Drop-In Center
92-32 Union Hall Street
Open 24/7
Staten Island
Warming spaces:
- H+H Clinic – Gotham Vanderbilt
165 Vanderbilt Avenue
Open 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Warming buses:
- Project Hospitality
150 Richmond Terrace
More information on the city’s extreme cold weather measures can be found here.
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