New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced plans Tuesday to “involuntarily” remove mentally ill people from the streets.
Adams called the plan a “moral obligation” at a press conference. The move will allow the New York Police Department and emergency responders to take mentally ill people who are usually homeless to the hospital for treatment.
New York has an estimated 3,400 people who are unsheltered, though that figure has been widely dismissed as an undercount. Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul released a plan to have police and mental health workers move 1,000 homeless people from subways to shelters. In April, Adams proposed a $171 million investment in homeless services.
“The common misunderstanding persists that we cannot provide involuntary assistance unless the person is violent, suicidal or presenting a risk of imminent harm,” Adams said at the conference.
“This myth must be put to rest. Going forward, we will make every effort to assist those who are suffering from mental illness and whose illness is endangering them by preventing them from meeting their basic human needs,” he said.
The city will create training for police officers and health workers to “ensure compassionate care.” Patients will be kept in hospitals until a long-term plan is agreed on, according to Adams.
“When we hospitalize those in crisis, it will be with a sense of mission to help them heal and to prepare them for an appropriate community placement,” Adams said.
