
Top NYC mayoral candidate unveils plan to make subway stations hubs for the homeless and mentally ill
A leading candidate in the New York City mayoral race has unveiled a $10 million proposal to set up centers for homeless people within the Big Apple's subway network.
Zohran Mamdani wants to convert shopfronts within the MTA network into drop-in facilities that would also serve mentally ill people, Gothamist reports.
The plans are likely to prove controversial among New Yorkers amid growing concern about crime on the subway and the city's homelessness epidemic.
Four in ten riders say they want to see fewer people acting erratically on the subway, according to an MTA survey published last month.
Mamdani's plans were inspired by a similar system which operates in Philadelphia.
'If you just think about New Yorkers who are in a moment of crisis, in a mental health crisis, to just have a place they know they can go to that is in the subway station, where they can get just a moment of relief, a moment of care, a moment of guidance,' he told Gothamist. 'It could be all the difference.'
Unlike his political rivals, Mamdani does not believe in hiring more police to tackle crime on subways.
Instead he proposes appointing workers in the 100 busiest subway stations to act as a point of outreach.
An MTA spokeswoman told Gothamist that there are currently 62 vacant storefronts out of a total of 203 units.
There are about 350,000 homeless people in the city according to the Coalition for the Homeless, which said that the majority of this population will be living with a mental illness or other severe health problems.
This combined with a lack of psychiatric care beds and support has created a safety crisis on the subway.
But policy director for the advocacy group Riders Alliance Danny Pearlstein suggested that attracting vulnerable people down to the centers could exacerbate the current issues.
'We need immediate steps to draw people off the system and into services,' Pearlstein told Gothamist.
'Public space is so precious and this problem is so palpable to so many New Yorkers that it seems irresistible to at least try a solution.'
Critics also noted that the Philadelphia system that influenced Mamdani is considerably smaller than what would be required in New York.
MTA data shows that felony crime fell in the year to February, but a number of high profile incidents has left many New Yorkers fearful about taking the train.
Among the most shocking was the death of Debrina Kawam, who was set on fire by another homeless man as she slept on the subway.
So far the response by the authorities has been to send in more police who have at times forcibly removed mentally ill people from the system.
Mamdani's plan would form part of his $1 billion public safety proposal.
Candice Player, a vice president at Project HOME, the nonprofit that runs Philadelphia's drop-in center, told Gothamist that MTA bosses have contacted her about the model in her city.
MTA officials refused to comment to the outlet when asked about the feasibility of the democratic socialist's plan.
In the Democratic mayoral primary Mamdani is polling in second place behind disgraced former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who has promised to hire 5,000 more police officers to tackle the crisis.
Mamdani acknowledges that his plans would come with a hefty price tag which he claims he would fund by pushing for tax increases for the wealthy.
He is up against incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is made a shock decision to quit the Democrat part y and run for re-election as mayor of New York City as an independent candidate, while decrying extremist politics of the left.
Adams was once seen as a future leader in the party, declaring himself 'the Biden of Brooklyn' when he won four years ago.
He has since drifted from the rudderless Democrats who are furious with his recent deal-making with Donald Trump on immigration law.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
New York City Democratic mayoral primary debate: five key takeaways
In the first debate of the New York City Democratic mayoral primary, nine candidates took the stage and fielded questions on housing, affordability, crime, policing, public safety, political regrets and how each candidate would handle the Trump administration if elected. The candidates included former New York governor Andrew Cuomo; democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani; the New York City council speaker, Adrienne Adams; the current New York City comptroller, Brad Lander; former comptroller Scott Stringer; former Bronx assemblyman Michael Blake; state senators Zellnor Myrie and Jessica Ramos; and former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson. The current mayor, Eric Adams, was not present on Wednesday as he is running for re-election as an independent candidate, although he ran as a Democrat in 2021. A few takeaways from the debate: Throughout the debate, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, the current frontrunner in the race, was grilled on his record by his Democratic rivals. Cuomo spent much of the night sparring with progressive state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, who is polling second. Mamdani accused Cuomo of being beholden to wealthy donors and corporate interests, saying Cuomo prioritized the '1%, the billionaires and the profitable corporations', over 'working-class New Yorkers'. Cuomo dismissed the 33-year-old as inexperienced, calling Mamdani 'very good on Twitter and with videos' but saying he was someone who 'produces nothing'. 'He's been in government 27 minutes, he passed three bills, that's all he's done,' Cuomo said. 'He has no experience with Washington, no experience with New York City.' Trump came up several times, as the candidates agreed the next mayor must be ready to stand up to his administration if elected mayor, though they differed on who was best equipped to do so. 'I know how to deal with Donald Trump because I've dealt with him before,' Cuomo said, citing his experience as New York governor. Mamdani warned that 'President Trump will target whomever is the next mayor of this city' and said that is 'important that we have a mayor who will fight back and that is what I will do'. 'I am Donald Trump's worst nightmare as a progressive Muslim immigrant who actually fights for the things that I believe in,' Mamdani added. 'And the difference between myself and Andrew Cuomo is that my campaign is not funded by the very billionaires who put Donald Trump in DC.' Cuomo fired back, saying that 'Donald Trump would go through Mr Mamdani like a hot knife through butter'. 'He would be Trump's delight,' Cuomo added. Mamdani countered: 'It's true that I don't have experience with corrupt Trump billionaires that are funding my campaign. I don't have experience with party politics and insider consultants. I do have experience, however, with winning $450m in debt relief for thousands of working-class taxi drivers and actually delivering for working-class people.' Adrienne Adams, the speaker of the New York city council, said she would take legal action against Trump when necessary. Asked how they would respond if the Trump administration ordered city-run hospitals to stop providing care to undocumented patients or risk losing millions in federal funding, all candidates voiced strong opposition to Trump's recent crackdown on immigration in general. 'You cannot give in to Mr Trump and his demands,' Cuomo said. 'If you give in to him, he is a bully, I know him well, if you give in to him today, you will be giving him your lunch money for the rest of your life.' 'You have to fight him and the way you fight him is not by suing him,' the former governor said. 'We need a national coalition, which we can put together of like-minded states and cities that will oppose these actions and then we're going to have to eventually beat him politically in Congress.' Whitney Tilson said that if Trump were to act 'illegally to try and blackmail us, you have to sue to restore that funding', adding that he was 'appalled by what Trump is doing to terrorize immigrant communities' and would 'fight him tooth and nail'. Mamdani said that New York City was 'under attack by an authoritarian Trump administration'. 'The way that we fight back is ensure that our local institutions continue to provide the services to each and every New Yorker,' he said. 'We will tell those institutions that we will provide that funding and we will get that funding by taxing the 1% and the wealthiest corporations.' Pressed about his administration's handling of nursing home deaths during the Covid-19 pandemic – a 2021 report by the New York attorney general found that his office undercounted thousands of deaths of state nursing home residents – Cuomo defended his record, claiming the numbers were not, in fact, undercounted. He also denied the sexual harassment allegations against him that led to his resignation. 'I said at the time that if I offended anyone it was unintentional but I apologize and I say that today,' he said. Asked about their biggest political regret, city council speaker Adrienne Adams took a swipe at the current mayor. 'My biggest regret is believing that Eric Adams would be a good mayor for all New Yorkers,' she said. The city's comptroller, Brad Lander, said that he regretted not pushing 'for more housing in his Brooklyn district when he was a city council member'. Mandani used the moment to target Cuomo once more, saying that 'as a Democrat, one of my regrets is having trusted the leaders within our own party, leaders like Andrew Cuomo'. Cuomo, on the other hand, said his biggest regret was 'the state of the Democratic party', which prompted backlash from other candidates on stage. 'No personal regrets?' asked Adrienne Adams. 'No regrets when it comes to cutting Medicaid or healthcare? No regrets when it comes to slow-walking PPE and vaccinations in the season of Covid to Black and brown communities? Really, no regrets?' Cuomo said her claims were 'not accurate', adding: 'Medicaid went up under me. I pushed President Trump to give us everything he had, leading the way during Covid.' The moderators asked the candidates how much they pay in rent or mortgage in New York City. Adams said she owned her home and that it was paid off; Mamdani said he pays $2,300 a month in rent for a rent-stabilized apartment in Astoria. Blake said he spends about $1,800 for a home that he owns, while Myrie said his rent-stabilized apartment was $1,300 a month and Ramos said her rent was $2,500 a month. Lander said his mortgage was $3,300 a month. Cuomo said that he pays $7,800 a month, while Tilson said that he owned his home and paid about $5,000 per month in maintenance fees and taxes. Stringer said he pays $6,400.


NBC News
19-05-2025
- NBC News
Joe Biden cancer diagnosis and California fertility center bombing suspect: Morning Rundown
Biden is diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The House Budget Committee advance its bill for Trump's agenda. And New Yorkers react to a Mexican navy ship crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge. Here's what to know today. Biden considering his treatment options after prostate cancer diagnosis Former President Joe Biden has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, his personal office announced. Biden was screened after 'experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,' according to a statement from his personal office, and was diagnosed on Friday. The cancer was 'characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,' meaning that the cancer is likelier than others to grow and spread. The statement goes on to say that the cancer appears to be 'hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.' Biden and his family are meeting with doctors and considering 'multiple treatment options,' including hormone treatment, a source said. This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox. President Donald Trump and said he and first lady Melania Trump were 'saddened to hear about' Biden's diagnosis. Former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama also wished him a quick recovery. At 82, Biden is the oldest president in U.S. history. His run in the 2024 election for a second term as president has stoked deep divisions in the Democratic Party over whether a campaign at his age helped contribute to Trump's win. Last week, audio released of a special counsel's interview with Biden confirmed memory lapses that White House officials denied at the time. Prostate cancer is common in older men, and it is the second-leading cause of cancer death in American men, according to the American Cancer Society. However, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die of it. Dr. Chris George, a prostate cancer specialist at Northwestern Medicine who is not involved with Biden's case, said that if Biden responds to treatment, he could live for several more years. House committee advances Trump agenda bill Speaker Mike Johnson's self-imposed goal of passing a bill for President Donald Trump's agenda through the House by Memorial Day might be back on track after the House Budget Committee voted last night to advance the multitrillion-dollar package. The 17-16 vote along party lines comes two days after a group of conservatives voted to reject the bill. The package includes a major spending increase for immigration enforcement and the military, extends Trump's 2017 tax cuts and includes a series of cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and clean energy funding. But before the package passes the House, it still needs changes. Even then, the Senate has indicated they won't pass the bill as it is without major changes. Read the full story here. More politics news: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. trade representative Jamieson Greer are among the few who Trump has given multiple jobs — as many as four at the same time. Congressional Democrats have a guess as to why this is happening. Former Vice President Mike Pence criticized Trump's approach to tariffs and several foreign policy initiatives in a 'Meet the Press' interview with moderator Kristen Welker. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on 'Meet the Press' that Moody's U.S. credit downgrade was a 'lagging indicator' related to the Biden administration's spending policies. Bombing suspect's social media posts hint at his ideologies The suspect in a car bombing on Saturday outside a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, was identified as a 25-year-old Guy Edward Bartkus, who died in the blast, authorities said. The blast at American Reproductive Centers, which the FBI deemed an act of terrorism, caused damage to multiple buildings and businesses within a 250-yard radius. Four other people were injured. Investigators believe the suspect was driven by an anti-natalist ideology, defined as the belief that no one should have children. , Investigators said social media posts made by the suspect, including a 30-minute audio recording, reflected such views. Authorities said at a press conference yesterday that they believe the suspect was attempting to livestream the attack, and they're looking into what they call a 'manifesto.' Here's what else we know. New Jersey Transit strike comes to an end New Jersey Transit trains will resume their regular schedules tomorrow, closing out a short-lived transit strike that brought the nation's third-largest transit system to a halt. The tentative deal between NJ Transit managers and the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen was announced yesterday afternoon. Gov. Phil Murphy lauded the agreement, which he called 'both fair to NJ Transit's employees while also being affordable for our state's commuters and taxpayers.' NJ President and CEO Kris Kolluri urged commuters to work from home today until full service picks up again, explaining the company has a lot to do to make sure the railway is safe to use. Read the full story here. Read All About It At least 28 people have died in severe weather that swept through parts of the Midwest and the South, with Missouri and Kentucky suffering the worst of it. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that his country's military was 'moving toward full control' of Gaza as its intensifying air strikes and ground operation there killed dozens more people overnight. The WNBA said it is investigating 'hateful fan comments' made during the Indiana Fever's win against the Chicago Sky as rivals Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese faced off on the court. Louisiana authorities expressed confidence they would capture the seven of 10 New Orleans inmates who remain at large after their escape from jail last week. The FDA has been tasked with conducting a safety review of the abortion pill mifepristone, but the 'alarming' report cited by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. amounts to junk science, researchers who study reproductive health said. Staff Pick: How New Yorkers reacted to the collision at the Brooklyn Bridge The videos and images of a Mexican navy ship crashing into the Brooklyn Bridge on Saturday, an incident in which two people died and more than a dozen others were injured, were nothing short of surprising. And even the most hardened New Yorkers were stunned. 'I thought it was a movie,' said a nearby resident whose son called for him to look out the window on the night of the crash. A woman who went to see the ship the next day said she thought videos she saw of the crash were an AI-generated fabrication. — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified Weighted hula hoops aren't just a trendy viral sensation. They're good for core stability, better hip mobility and cardio, experts said. Plus, here are the best Hoka walking shoes, tested and reviewed by NBC Select editors. here.


Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Daily Mail
Top NYC mayoral candidate unveils plan to make subway stations hubs for the homeless and mentally ill
A leading candidate in the New York City mayoral race has unveiled a $10 million proposal to set up centers for homeless people within the Big Apple's subway network. Zohran Mamdani wants to convert shopfronts within the MTA network into drop-in facilities that would also serve mentally ill people, Gothamist reports. The plans are likely to prove controversial among New Yorkers amid growing concern about crime on the subway and the city's homelessness epidemic. Four in ten riders say they want to see fewer people acting erratically on the subway, according to an MTA survey published last month. Mamdani's plans were inspired by a similar system which operates in Philadelphia. 'If you just think about New Yorkers who are in a moment of crisis, in a mental health crisis, to just have a place they know they can go to that is in the subway station, where they can get just a moment of relief, a moment of care, a moment of guidance,' he told Gothamist. 'It could be all the difference.' Unlike his political rivals, Mamdani does not believe in hiring more police to tackle crime on subways. Instead he proposes appointing workers in the 100 busiest subway stations to act as a point of outreach. An MTA spokeswoman told Gothamist that there are currently 62 vacant storefronts out of a total of 203 units. There are about 350,000 homeless people in the city according to the Coalition for the Homeless, which said that the majority of this population will be living with a mental illness or other severe health problems. This combined with a lack of psychiatric care beds and support has created a safety crisis on the subway. But policy director for the advocacy group Riders Alliance Danny Pearlstein suggested that attracting vulnerable people down to the centers could exacerbate the current issues. 'We need immediate steps to draw people off the system and into services,' Pearlstein told Gothamist. 'Public space is so precious and this problem is so palpable to so many New Yorkers that it seems irresistible to at least try a solution.' Critics also noted that the Philadelphia system that influenced Mamdani is considerably smaller than what would be required in New York. MTA data shows that felony crime fell in the year to February, but a number of high profile incidents has left many New Yorkers fearful about taking the train. Among the most shocking was the death of Debrina Kawam, who was set on fire by another homeless man as she slept on the subway. So far the response by the authorities has been to send in more police who have at times forcibly removed mentally ill people from the system. Mamdani's plan would form part of his $1 billion public safety proposal. Candice Player, a vice president at Project HOME, the nonprofit that runs Philadelphia's drop-in center, told Gothamist that MTA bosses have contacted her about the model in her city. MTA officials refused to comment to the outlet when asked about the feasibility of the democratic socialist's plan. In the Democratic mayoral primary Mamdani is polling in second place behind disgraced former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who has promised to hire 5,000 more police officers to tackle the crisis. Mamdani acknowledges that his plans would come with a hefty price tag which he claims he would fund by pushing for tax increases for the wealthy. He is up against incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is made a shock decision to quit the Democrat part y and run for re-election as mayor of New York City as an independent candidate, while decrying extremist politics of the left. Adams was once seen as a future leader in the party, declaring himself 'the Biden of Brooklyn' when he won four years ago. He has since drifted from the rudderless Democrats who are furious with his recent deal-making with Donald Trump on immigration law.