Mamdani reverses course and reinstates street encampment evictions in New York City

Zohran Mamdani announced that New York City will resume searches and evictions of makeshift homeless encampments. However, he assured that his administration would bring a more "humane" approach to a practice he criticized and even curbed in the recent past.

Shortly after being sworn in as mayor of the Big Apple, the Democrat paused the policy pushed by his predecessor, Eric Adams, of evicting street encampments.

The decision came after reports that at least 19 people died outdoors during days of extreme cold.

"We will meet them looking to connect them with shelter, looking to them with services, looking to connect them with a city that wants them to be sheltered and indoors and warm and safe. And that is something that I believe will yield far better results," Mamdani said during a press conference.

Unlike Mamdani, Eric Adams made raids on makeshift encampments a central element of his campaign to restore order in the city. At the time, the operations drew complaints and even protests from homeless advocacy groups.

Instead, the progressive mayor will re-implement this policy, but under a different format. Under the new approach, the mayor's office reported that an official notice announcing the eviction of the encampment will be issued first. Thereafter, teams from the Department of Care for the Homeless will visit the site every day for a week to orient those there and connect them with available social services.

On the seventh day, city workers will proceed to dismantle the camp, with the expectation that most of the people will have already left the area. Police presence will be limited to observation duties during the operation.

David Giffen, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, expressed "surprise" at the mayor's backtracking, describing the move as a political reaction.

In turn, he asserted that the raids would hurt social workers and erode trust in the mayor: "When a city worker shows up and throws out all your belongings, you’re not going to trust that person the next time they show up offering you a place to sleep inside."