Zohran Mamdani slams critics of his plan to end homeless camp sweeps – but fails to address quality of life concerns
Mayor‑elect Zohran Mam Mamdani has taken a strong stance against the criticism of his proposed end to the city’s sweeping of homeless encampments, yet he has yet to supply a viable set of alternatives or address the everyday quality‑of‑life concerns raised by residents.
He seized on the current policing of street encampments under Mayor Eric Adams, highlighting that, during the past year, no one who was swept up by the administration was successfully moved into permanent housing.
“What I’m opposed to is the failure that we’ve seen to characterize the Adams administration’s approach to this,” he said, when asked where he would draw the line on ending the sweeps, and whether he would even stop them at places like a subway car or a sidewalk.
“What I’m opposed to is looking at an entire calendar year and seeing the Adams administration be unable to connect a single homeless New Yorker that was affected by those sweeps to permanent housing,” Mam Mamdani continued at a press briefing in Lower Manhattan’s chilly Canal Park.
In a separate meeting, the outgoing mayor voiced fierce resistance to the plan announced last week—that would abandon the major initiative that intensified in 2022. He described allowing homeless residents to remain outside in the cold as “inhumane,” noting that it would be unrealistic to expect the city to tolerate street‐camping indefinitely.
When reporters pressed Mam Mamdani on how he would handle the quality‑of‑life issues associated with a shift away from sweeps, he did not lay out concrete policy points. One journalist asked: “New Yorkers are wondering in that very specific scenario where there is something affecting the quality of life … What does Mayor Mam Mamdani do?” In response, Mam Mamdani said, “Mayor Mam Mamdani ensures that we connect those New Yorkers with actual housing,” but he did not specify a plan to persuade homeless people to leave the streets.
“We cannot allow ourselves to become complacent with what has become the norm in this city, and that doesn’t mean leaving New Yorkers to sleep in the cold,” Mam Mamdani added, choosing to omit any mention of involuntary commitment or the policy’s potential use.
The soon‑to‑be mayor’s interview followed a closed‑door discussion with real‑estate leaders, many of whom have expressed concern about how the policy’s uncertainty might affect the industry. Gov. Kathy Hochul—an ally of Mam Mamdani—also distanced herself from his sweeping allegations. A spokesperson for the governor said, “Hochul supports an approach that combines enforcement— including sweeps when needed— with connection to supportive housing and mental health and substance abuse services.”
In a separate briefing aimed at real‑estate stakeholders such as Emma Pfohan of the Association for a Better New York and partners from the Partnership of the City of New York, Mam Mamdani’s spokesman indicated that involuntary commitment was not a major topic. The conversation touched on housing vouchers, supportive housing, and even the property‑tax system.
— Additional reporting by Crag McCarthy
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