NYC opens 50 single-room shelter units for homeless New Yorkers amid historic cold stretch
Amid a historic stretch of extreme cold, New York City is opening additional single-room shelter units for homeless New Yorkers in Upper Manhattan. On Saturday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Department of Social Services (DSS) Commissioner Molly Park announced an emergency expansion to reach unhoused individuals who may avoid shelters because they do not want to share space with others. According to preliminary findings from the city, as of Monday morning, 16 New Yorkers have been found dead outside, with hypothermia playing a role in 13 deaths, Mamdani said during a press conference.
The expansion comes as the city is on track to experience its longest stretch of below-freezing temperatures in 65 years, according to the New York Post. By the time the cold is expected to break on Saturday, February 7, temperatures will have remained at or below 32 degrees for 15 consecutive days.
While warmer days may be ahead, the city remains under “Code Blue,” which triggers expanded outreach, including around-the-clock checks and temporarily relaxed shelter intake policies to accommodate as many New Yorkers as possible. During the emergency, 311 calls are rerouted to 911 to speed up response times.
Since January 19, intensified outreach efforts have connected more than 860 homeless New Yorkers with shelter. In addition to the additional single-shelter units, Mamdani last week opened 10 new warming shelters and 10 new warming buses to better protect the city’s most vulnerable residents from the cold.
On Friday, the mayor announced the deployment of 17 additional mobile warming units, expanding the total to 20 by Saturday night. Information on warming centers and bus locations is available here.
The additional measures come as city agencies continue to clear snow from last weekend’s storm, which dropped up to 15 inches in some areas. Although snowstorms are usually followed by warmer weather, the persistent cold has slowed cleanup efforts.
About 2,500 Department of Sanitation workers are deployed each shift to clear snow, with support from the Departments of Parks and Recreation, Environmental Protection, Transportation, and Citywide Administrative Services. The city has also contracted roughly 500 emergency snow shovelers per day, while 100 sanitation workers operate specialized vehicles to break up snow and remove frozen ridges.
As of Saturday, crews had cleared more than 24,649 crosswalks, 6,947 fire hydrants, and 14,831 bus stops. The city has also spread 188 million pounds of salt and melted 67 million pounds of snow using specialized vehicles equipped with snow-melting tubs, into which crews shovel snow or ice before it is melted and emptied into storm drains.
“As a dangerous cold persists, my administration is working around the clock to keep New Yorkers safe. By making new single-room units available, we are meeting people where they are and removing barriers that keep too many New Yorkers out in the cold,” Mamdani said.
“Across our city, dedicated public servants are clearing crosswalks and bus stops, melting down snow ridges, spreading salt and conducting relentless outreach to bring people indoors. As this critical work continues, I urge all New Yorkers who can to stay indoors, look out for your neighbors, and call 311 if you see someone who needs help.”
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