Even though Mayor Eric Adams announced during his State of the City address that the city will invest $650 million to tackle homelessness, more details were revealed on the city's historic investment.
On Wednesday, Adams said his administration will start a new program called "Bridge to Home." This program is in collaboration with NYC Health + Hospitals and will allow for patients with serious mental illness who are ready to be discharged from a hospital and with no place to go to go to a home-like space.
“For too long, government has failed to care for and help unhoused New Yorkers, especially those with severe mental illness, so when we came into office, we said the days of ignoring people in need — on our streets and in our subways — were over,” Adams said. “Today, we are announcing further details of our historic $650 million effort to tackle street homelessness. Our new ‘Bridge to Home’ model will help New Yorkers with severe mental illness and invest in 1,000 street beds that we know are in high demand and that are highly effective."
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WATCH HEREThe initiative will provide patients with a single room, three meals a day, recreation and on-site behavioral care, including individual and group therapy, substance use disorder treatment and medication management. This program, according to the mayor's office, will help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient hospitalizations, while also decreasing street homelessness and a reliance on shelters.
While it is not clear when the program will start, the "Bridge to Home" program is expected to be in full swing by 2027 with 100 beds at an annual cost of $13 million.
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SIGN UP "Our highest needs patients deserve our highest level of care,” NYC Health + Hospitals President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz said. “‘Bridge to Home’ will give our patients with serious mental illness a new beginning, combining social and recreational activities with the privacy of their own room and psychiatric support from a comprehensive care team, including peers."
Additionally, Adams also unveiled an investment of $106 million in the annual baseline budget to increase the capacity of the Safe Haven project to 4,900 beds, expanding the reach of the program designed as an alternative to traditional shelters. The program currently has 1,400 Safe Haven and stabilization beds. This program involves “low-barrier to entry” shelter facilities that offer transitional housing and which are often the first step towards helping those experiencing homelessness accept services and transition off of the streets.
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Additional action that the Adams administration is taking involves increasing the total number of runaway and homeless youth beds to more than 900. The administration is investing $6 million in the annual baseline budget for Homeless Young Adult beds.
The city will also be launching a $30 million pilot program that aims to connect soon-to-be parents applying for shelter with services that help them find permanent housing and prevent homelessness. According to the mayor's office, this pilot will be rolled out over the coming weeks.
These new investments will take place over several fiscal years. The city's hope is that they will help tackle street homelessness.
