Subway Crackdown and Shelter Scarcity: How New York City Has Failed to Help the Homeless
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For most New Yorkers, the subway is a transportation tool, getting us from point A to point B. But for New York City’s homeless population, it’s a place to seek shelter, rest, and safety.
Many factors, including growing challenges surrounding mental health have made the subway increasingly unsafe. City government employees have begun to stop homeless people from sheltering in the subway, but the city is not expanding homeless shelters in response. Along with the lack of housing, the city has little infrastructure to provide homeless people with mental health support.
As New York City is overwhelmed with an affordable housing crisis and healthcare system, the subway has become a refuge for many people. Recent crackdowns by law enforcement and city officials, including an increased police presence and stricter enforcement of subway rules, aim to address safety concerns. Critics argue that this criminalizes homelessness and does not address its root causes, leaving vulnerable people displaced.
Since 2022, homelessness has more than doubled in New York. Furthermore, 10% of New York’s homeless population suffers from mental illness or substance abuse. New York City is not equipped to handle this influx.
According to Mel Chan, a high school counselor at Grace, there is only “one [psychiatric] bed for every two thousand New Yorkers,” meaning that not all New Yorkers in need can receive care. Mr. Chan shared another shocking statistic, sharing that “only 3000 beds were available in New York City last year,” which leaves New York City’s 350,000 homeless population without anywhere to sleep. This seems to be behind the rising cases of individuals having mental episodes in public spaces, including subways.
In response, Mayor Eric Adams has tasked police officers and first responders with assessing and hospitalizing individuals who appear to be mentally ill. While the initiative has good intentions, it is flawed.
“They’re asking people who don’t have the right training to make these assessments,” Mr. Chan explained. Police officers are being asked to make life-altering decisions that “many doctors and social workers would not want to make” without proper training. This policy is just putting a “bandaid on a problem that needs surgery,” Mr Chan said, and will not solve this issue.
Jordan Neely’s death death on an F Train in 2023 is just one example that shows how important it is for New York to help those with mental illnesses, especially on our subways. Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man with mental health issues, died after an altercation on the subway. Daniel Penny, another passenger, placed Neely in a chokehold, believing Neely was a danger to other passengers, eventually killing him. Public outrage ensued, with many viewing Neely’s death as a consequence of insufficient mental health resources and overreliance on law enforcement over healthcare.
As New York City continues to struggle with an escalating homelessness crisis, finding a balance between public safety and compassionate, effective social services is a priority—one that will ultimately decide whether the subway is useful transportation or the last refuge for society’s most vulnerable.
Zarina Medeiros ‘26, the author, is a staff writer for The Grace Gazette.