October 10, 2024 By Coalition for the Homeless NEW YORK – Today, Coalition for the Homeless Executive Director David Giffen issued the following statement on Mayor Adams’ recent announcement of new “co-response” operation focused on serving homeless New Yorkers on the subway: “While we acknowledge the City’s attempts to meet homeless New Yorkers where they are, today’s announcement of what is effectively another NYPD led outreach program does nothing to provide the housing, low-barrier shelter beds, and quality voluntary mental health care that individuals sleeping in the transit system want and need. Mayor Adams also continues to rely on the rhetoric of fear mongering, consistently framing the issue in terms of the danger homeless people with mental illnesses pose to housed New Yorkers, which just perpetuates harmful, negative stereotypes. If Mayor Adams were serious about the issue, he would be focused on addressing the needs of the thousands of New Yorkers who have been left out in the cold because of the City’s failure to provide enough housing and mental health care.”
