Zohran Mamdani's plan to use empty subway retail space for homeless outreach

Running for mayor, Zohran Mamdani is eyeing vacant spaces in the New York City subway system  for crisis and drop-in hubs to serve homeless people. The state assemblymember from Queens said his idea could connect people to longer-term care and provide “triage” centers for those undergoing mental health crises in the subways — something that has become all too familiar for many New Yorkers.

Mamdani estimates his plan would cost $10 million and fit into his $1 billion broader public safety proposal, which he said he would fund by pushing the state to vote for tax hikes on the wealthy. He’s calling to hire outreach workers in the top 100 busiest subway stations with the highest rates of homelessness, and he said the drop-in hubs were inspired by a similar effort in Philadelphia, which has been operating for over a decade. 

It’s yet another sign many mayoral candidates have made allaying fears around riding the subway a central goal.