Mayor Adams unveils PATH initiative to tackle homelessness in NYC subways

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, alongside NYPD Interim Commissioner Thomas G. Donlon and Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, announced a new initiative aimed at addressing homelessness in the city’s subway system.

Dubbed Partnership Assistance for Transit Homelessness (PATH), the program is designed to connect unsheltered New Yorkers with vital services, including shelter and healthcare, through coordinated efforts between the NYPD, Department of Homeless Services (DHS), and NYC Health + Hospitals.

The PATH program, launched in August, employs a “co-response” model where police officers partner with clinicians and social workers to conduct outreach during overnight hours. This model allows clinical professionals to lead once safety is secured, helping to de-escalate crises and facilitate medical interventions. Mayor Adams emphasized the broader goal of ensuring public safety while addressing the needs of the city’s most vulnerable.

“Keeping New Yorkers safe on our subways and maintaining confidence in the transit system that each day moves over 4 million people is key to ensuring that New York remains the safest big city in America,” said Mayor Adams. “When we came into office, we said the days of ignoring people in need — on our streets and in our subways — were over.”

So far, PATH teams have connected over 500 people to services from more than 1,500 engagements. The initiative also complements other programs, like the *Subway Co-Response Outreach Teams* (SCOUT), further expanding safety measures throughout the transit system. This approach, Adams stressed, is about more than just enforcement—it’s about compassion. “This is not only the compassionate thing to do, but the right thing to do,” he added.

The initiative is part of a larger strategy by the Adams administration to address both public safety and homelessness, focusing on building trust with those in need. Since 2022, the city has connected over 7,800 New Yorkers to shelter and transitioned more than 640 individuals into permanent, affordable housing.