New York to open 24/7 homeless outreach centers in subway stations
New York will open a network of 24-hour “welcome centers” in the subway system, where social workers will help connect homeless New Yorkers with supportive services and shelter. As first reported by Crain’s, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office plans to open up to five of these facilities in subway stations to assist people struggling with mental health issues who have taken up residence in the transit system. The initiative is part of a $40 million investment in the state budget to fund outreach teams to build relationships with the unhoused and connect them with aid.
Hochul’s office is working with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Mayor Eric Adams’ administration to determine locations for the new centers. The facilities will likely be housed in underutilized retail storefronts at major subway stations, which are owned by the MTA, such as 42nd Street-Times Square. However, the centers will not offer shelter beds.
This approach has gained support from several mayoral candidates, including Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, State Sen. Jessica Ramos, and attorney Jim Walden.
“Let people have a place to go, to get warmed up, take care of them, and then be persuasive and say, now we have a better option,” Hochul told Crain’s. “You know, dial down the stress of it for everybody and have it in a place where you can have more positive outcomes.”
Nicolette Simmonds, a spokesperson for Hochul, declined to share a timeline for when the centers will open, what specific services they will offer, or how much the state intends to spend on establishing them. The MTA also declined to share specifics about the new centers, according to Crain’s.
The centers will be staffed by state-contracted outreach teams, similar to those deployed through the state’s Safe Options Support program. Currently, the state Office of Mental Health oversees 16 such teams across the five boroughs, working in coordination with the MTA and the city’s Department of Social Services.
Most of the outreach teams are staffed by Coordinated Behavioral Care, a nonprofit contracted by the state to operate in Manhattan, while other organizations serve Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx.
The program aims to target residents who have yet to take advantage of city services, and is unique in that the teams stay in contact with individuals for up to a year after they are connected with services, ensuring they receive continued care.
According to Hochul, the new facilities will serve as bases of operations for medical professionals working to engage with unhoused individuals in the subway system. The ultimate goal, she said, is to create a more welcoming environment for commuters by helping homeless New Yorkers transition out of the transit system and into shelters.
During a press conference on Thursday highlighting the 2026 budget deal, Hochul praised the outreach teams for their success in helping unhoused New Yorkers living in the subway system transition into stable housing.
“These are compassionate public servants who’ve helped over 1,000 New Yorkers escape lives on the street and get this permanent housing. A thousand people who are long-term chronically homeless right here—now have a home to call and make sure it’s a safe place for them to rest their heads at night. Because you know what? It’s not just about public safety for all of us. It’s about human dignity and giving people what they deserve.”
RELATED:
