Mayor Adams launches $650m plan to tackle mental health, homelessness crisis in NYC

In a historic move, Mayor Eric Adams has unveiled a $650 million initiative to address street homelessness and mental health challenges in New York City.

The ambitious plan, announced during the State of the City address, includes groundbreaking strategies to provide treatment, temporary housing, and comprehensive behavioral health care to the city’s most vulnerable populations.

“For too long, [the] government has failed to care for and help unhoused New Yorkers, especially those with severe mental illness. When we came into [the] office, we said the days of ignoring people in need—on our streets and in our subways—were over,” Mayor Adams declared.

The initiative’s centerpiece, “Bridge to Home,” a first-of-its-kind program by NYC Health + Hospitals, will offer patients with severe mental illness a supportive, home-like environment post-hospital discharge. It includes private rooms, meals, recreational activities, and 24/7 on-site behavioral health care to reduce emergency room visits, hospital readmissions, and criminal justice system interactions. Patients will stay temporarily for 6-12 months before transitioning to permanent housing.

Complementing this program, the city will add 900 Safe Haven shelter beds and 100 Runaway Homeless Youth beds, designed to offer intensive support for vulnerable populations. Mayor Adams also announced a $30 million pilot program to connect expectant parents with housing services, aiming to ensure no child is born into homelessness.

Combined with earlier initiatives like the Subway Safety Plan, the city’s Department of Homeless Services budget will surpass $400 million by FY2027, more than doubling since Adams took office.

“Our highest-needs patients deserve our highest level of care,” said NYC Health + Hospitals President Mitchell Katz, MD. “‘Bridge to Home’ will give our patients a new beginning, combining psychiatric support with the privacy and dignity they deserve.”

Since the start of Adams’ administration, over 8,000 New Yorkers have been connected to shelters, with 2,800 transitioning into permanent housing. “This administration has made the largest annual investment in serving street homelessness in the city’s history,” Adams emphasized.

Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez praised the effort, stating, “Mental illness, particularly among our unhoused population, has contributed to a troubling rise in random acts of violence and unease in our city. Mayor Adams’ proposals provide treatment, housing, and support rather than relying on arrest and incarceration.”

New York State Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar added, “Together, we will bring support and care to all New Yorkers, allowing everyone to enjoy dignity, safety, and stability.”

Mayor Adams’ initiative is a decisive step towards tackling homelessness with compassion and innovation, restoring hope and stability to New York City’s most vulnerable residents.

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