New Low-Barrier Facilities Open Doors to Street-Connected New Yorkers Without Standard Intake Requirements
The Mamdani administration has opened new safe haven shelters as part of an expanded effort to bring street-connected New Yorkers indoors during the severe winter cold spell and to provide alternatives to large congregate shelter facilities that many people find unacceptable or refuse to enter. Safe havens differ from traditional shelters by eliminating barriers including sobriety requirements, bag searches, and strict rules that deter people in crisis from seeking help.
Safe Haven Philosophy
Safe havens recognize that people living on the street often avoid traditional shelters due to trauma, mental health conditions, substance use disorder, or previous negative shelter experiences. Safe havens acknowledge that getting a vulnerable person indoors and warm is the first step; additional services and requirements can come later once rapport is established.
Low-Barrier Entry Requirements
Unlike traditional shelters that may require proof of identification, NYC residency, sobriety, medication compliance, or other conditions, safe havens accept people as they are. The only requirement is a willingness to accept shelter. This approach has proven effective in engaging people who have resisted shelter enrollment through conventional outreach.
Services Provision
Safe haven staff provide meals, access to bathrooms and showers, clean clothing, and health services including wound care. Mental health and substance use counseling are available but voluntary. Case management services help residents identify and access benefits, employment training, and housing.
Housing Pathway
Safe haven residents are connected to permanent supportive housing programs as appropriate. The safe haven serves as a bridge to more stable long-term housing and services rather than a permanent solution.
Population Served
The new safe havens are specifically designed to serve people experiencing chronic homelessness, individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, and those with complex social and health needs. The administration has opened additional low-barrier facilities during the cold emergency with on-call ambulances to transport people from street corners directly into warm facilities.
Warming Centers Expansion
Beyond dedicated safe havens, the administration has opened additional warming centers in public buildings, faith institutions, and community facilities during the cold emergency. These centers provide shorter-term relief from dangerous temperatures while outreach workers connect people to longer-term housing and services.
Integration with Broader Services
Safe havens are integrated with other city services including healthcare access, benefits enrollment assistance, employment and job training programs, and mental health and substance use treatment. The goal is comprehensive support for housing stability and overall health.
Staff Training and Trauma-Informed Care
Safe haven staff receive training in trauma-informed care, de-escalation, and motivational interviewing approaches that recognize the lived experiences of homeless individuals and the systemic failures that produced their homelessness. Find more information about shelter models, homelessness advocacy, and housing solutions.
