In February 2022, New York City Mayor Adams and New York Governor Hochul jointly announced a new joint City/State plan for safety in the subways.
BRC played an important role in helping to inform this Subway Safety Plan, and it builds upon BRC’s important and transformative work.
A significant part of this Subway Safety Plan presents a comprehensive and holistic response to the needs of unsheltered people who use the subway system for shelter, and for those with serious mental illness who may not be able to manage their needs for safety and wellness.
The Subway Safety Plan commits to:
Increasing safe haven and stabilization capacity;
Streamlining the housing placement process;
Expanding the capacity of inpatient and outpatient mental health services in both City and State programs, including restoring hundreds of inpatient beds in psychiatric hospitals;
Clarifying that the enforcement of subway system rules by police can, and must, be done in a humane manner, supportive of the efforts of frontline outreach workers; and
Clarifying the criteria for involuntary removals and hospitalizations for people whose health is at risk.
Further, I want to give a special acknowledgement to the many BRC staff who helped to shape this plan into an impressive and comprehensive vision. Over the past six weeks, BRC staff have piloted new initiatives, trained and educated State and City officials, demonstrated the many successes we have achieved, and shared their perspectives with regard to the challenges we all face in our efforts to do meaningful and effective work. I believe that if all the committed partners at the City and State collaborate and deliver upon this plan, it will lead to meaningful positive change for people experiencing homelessness and people living with untreated mental illness in our city. This is undoubtably a step in the right direction for all New Yorkers.
Thank you for your ongoing support of the work we do and the people we serve.
Muzzy Rosenblatt
CEO & President, BRC
To learn more about ways in which you can support our work, visit www.brc.org/donate.