incoming NYC Mayor Mamdani Signals โshift in Homelessness โคPolicy, Plans to Halt Encampment Sweeps
NEW YORK – Incoming โNew York City Mayorโข Yusuf Mamdani has โคindicated he willโฃ cease teh โpractice of โฃclearingโ homeless encampments, a โstrategy previously championedโฃ by hisโ predecessor, Eric Adams. Whileโฃ details remain scarce, Mamdani’s stance represents a important departure from the โขAdams administration’s approach to addressing visible homelessness across the fiveโ boroughs.
The move โcomes as the city grapples with persistent concerns over encampments, with 311 data revealing over 45,000 complaintsโฃ related to encampments received in theโ first 11 months ofโค 2025 alone. โ
Adams made clearing โout tent cities a top priority after โขtaking office in 2022, stating, “We cannot tolerate these makeshift, unsafe houses on the side of highways, in trees, โฃin front of schools, in parks. this is just not acceptable,and it’s something I’m โjust not going to allow to happen,” in March 2022. However, theโ effectiveness of these sweepsโข has been widely โquestioned.
Data indicated that few individuals displaced by the sweeps transitioned into permanent housing.โ A 2023 audit found that approximately 95% of those โขremoved from encampments returnedโ to the โขstreets shortly after the campsโ were dismantled.
City Hall previously disputed the audit findings from City Comptroller Brad โขLander,โฃ asserting the initiative was “indisputablyโค prosperous.” City Hall spokesperson Fabien โLevy โstated inโ a seperate statement that the cleanups had “connected more than 500 New Yorkers to โขsafe, stable housing,” and thatโ New York City โฃ”continues โคto have the lowest rate of unsheltered homelessness of any major city inโ the nation.”
Mamdani’sโฃ decision โคto halt theโ sweeps signals a potential shiftโ towards choice strategies for addressing homelessness, though specifics of hisโฃ plan have not yet been released. The incoming mayor’s approach will โbe closely watched by advocates,โข city officials, โขand residents alike as New York โCity โขcontinues to navigate the complex challengesโฃ of providing housing and support for itsโ unshelteredโ population.
