Mayor Eric Adams has launched a new program called Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH) in New York City to address homelessness in the subway system. This initiative involves pairing outreach workers and clinicians with transit police officers to offer shelter and services to those in need. The goal is to ensure rider safety and provide support to people experiencing homelessness.
The PATH teams, which consist of police officers, a nurse, and Department of Homeless Services service coordinators, have already made contact with over 1,500 individuals and connected around 500 of them to services such as temporary housing or medical care. The program operates in an overnight capacity, differentiating it from another similar co-response model launched by Gov. Kathy Hochul in March.
While some advocates have raised concerns about the involvement of police in crisis response, city officials argue that their presence is necessary to ensure the safety of outreach workers and individuals in need. Outreach worker Shawn Tish emphasized that the police are there for protection and only intervene if someone poses a threat to the team.
Mayor Adams has expressed his intention to expand the PATH teams beyond Manhattan and into other parts of the city. The program is part of a broader effort to address homelessness and provide comprehensive services to vulnerable populations in New York City’s subway system.
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