Tuesday, Jan. 27, marked the twenty seventh day of Zohran Mamdani’s time period as mayor. New York News is following Mamdani round his first 100 days in workplace as we intently observe his progress on fulfilling marketing campaign guarantees, appointing key leaders to authorities posts, and managing the town’s funds. Right here’s a abstract of what the mayor did at the moment.
As dangerously chilly air settles over New York Metropolis following a weekend snowstorm, Mayor Zohran Mamdani mentioned Tuesday that at the least 10 individuals have died after being discovered outdoor, prompting the town to roll out emergency measures that transcend its normal cold-weather response.
“We don’t yet know whether every case will be ruled hypothermia,” Mamdani mentioned throughout a Metropolis Corridor press briefing, “but we need every New Yorker to be on alert, looking out for their neighbors.”
The town stays below a Code Blue, which triggers round the clock outreach, relaxed shelter consumption guidelines, and expanded emergency companies, however Mamdani mentioned the severity and period of the chilly require extra motion. He described the circumstances as “the coldest weather conditions that we have experienced in the city for eight years.”
Since Jan. 19, the town has positioned practically 500 homeless New Yorkers into transitional housing, together with shelters, secure havens, and stabilized beds, in line with Mamdani. Seventy individuals have been introduced indoors throughout the newest outreach efforts alone.
Nonetheless, he mentioned, “Code Blue alone is not enough in a cold this severe, this rare.”
Mercury retains plunging
The briefing got here because the Nationwide Climate Service issued a Chilly Climate Advisory for all 5 boroughs, warning of wind chills as little as six levels under zero in a single day into Wednesday morning. Forecasters warned that extended publicity may result in hypothermia if precautions should not taken.
Beneath the expanded emergency protocol, he mentioned the town is rising canvassing efforts each few hours, deploying employees from shelter suppliers, partnering with faith-based organizations, and coordinating with homeless advocacy teams, such because the Avenue Homeless Advocacy Venture, to rearrange additional outreach shifts.
The town has opened 10 new warming shelters since Friday and, as of Monday night time, added seven extra NYC Well being + Hospitals facilities throughout all 5 boroughs. Officers have additionally added 10 new warming buses at key places, supplementing present cellular warming models.
Hospitals have been requested to restrict in a single day discharges when sufferers don’t have a identified place to go.
“We have reiterated that guidance and also put out additional guidance to remind hospitals that overnight discharges…should be limited,” mentioned Molly Wasow Park, the town’s commissioner of social companies.
Psychological well being groups have been redirected to deal with avenue and subway outreach, and the town postponed its annual HOPE Depend of the homeless inhabitants throughout the emergency.
“When the cold is this deadly, we need to meet the moment and leave no stone unturned,” Mamdani mentioned. “Extreme weather is not a personal failure, but it is a public responsibility.”
“If we have the resources to act, we have the obligation to act, and we are mobilizing every resource at our disposal to ensure that New Yorkers are brought indoors during this potentially lethal weather event,” he added.
Who the town is prioritizing
Wasow Park mentioned outreach employees are specializing in a listing of roughly 350 unsheltered individuals thought of particularly weak due to age or underlying medical circumstances. Groups try to interact these people each two hours, although she famous persons are cellular and never at all times discovered.
Of those that died, she mentioned, “there are people with DHS history at this point,” however added, “to the best of my knowledge, it’s not individuals on the By Name List,” emphasizing that some instances stay below investigation.
She additionally mentioned involuntary hospital removals stay a final resort. “If somebody is truly in danger, we will take action to save their lives,” she mentioned, however pressured that just about all latest shelter placements have been voluntary.
Mamdani echoed that place. “We are not going to leave someone out in the cold if they’re a danger to themselves or to others,” he mentioned.
Deputy Mayor for Operations Julia Kerson speaks about snow removing and transit accessPhoto by Lloyd Mitchell
Providers: Lingering snow issues
Officers mentioned outreach efforts proceed within the subway system, the place a nonprofit supplier works completely underground. Warming buses have been stationed at end-of-line subway stations, which officers say typically see increased concentrations of unsheltered individuals throughout chilly climate.
In the meantime, snow and ice from the weekend storm continued to have an effect on mobility throughout the town. Julia Kerson, the town’s new deputy mayor for operations, mentioned that as of 6:15 a.m. Tuesday, 75% of bus stops with shelters had been cleared by Division of Transportation contractors.
Sanitation crews, she mentioned, are managing greater than 1,000 employees clearing sidewalks and bus stops with out shelters. On Monday alone, crews cleared 1,800 bus stops, 6,000 crosswalks, and 1,800 hydrants.
“Normally, we have the help of warmer weather in melting the snow that we do not have this week,” Kerson mentioned. “We ask for just a little bit of patience.”
Appointments: Probation, city-wide companies, setting
After addressing the cold-weather emergency, Mamdani introduced three senior appointments to his administration.
Sharun Goodwin was named commissioner of the Division of Probation. A Bronx native, Goodwin served 37 years on the company earlier than retiring in 2024, rising from intern to deputy commissioner.
“Probation is not simply about supervision,” Goodwin mentioned. “It is about accountability and opportunity… Public safety and compassion are not opposing forces. They are complementary responsibilities.”
Yume Kitasei was appointed commissioner of the Division of Citywide Administrative Providers, which oversees metropolis hiring, municipal buildings and fleet operations. A longtime metropolis authorities official, Kitasei described herself as a “government nerd” and mentioned DCAS is “the key to tackling slow and cumbersome hiring processes.” Kitasei can also be the writer of a number of speculative fiction novels.
Lisa Garcia was named commissioner of the Division of Environmental Safety after serving as administrator of EPA Area 2 below President Biden. DEP, she mentioned, is central to day by day life within the metropolis. “When you turn on the tap, that’s DEP… even when you flush the toilet, that’s DEP.”
Garcia mentioned local weather change and fairness can be central to her work. “It is critical that DEP take the lead in protecting against climate impacts,” she mentioned.
Reporters pressed the brand new commissioners on points together with alleged nepotism on the Division of Probation, lease evaluations at DCAS tied to a beforehand indicted official, water charges, and main infrastructure initiatives.
Mamdani repeatedly stepped in, saying the commissioner wanted time to get settled.
“I will demand the world of our new commissioner,” he mentioned at one level, “but I also will give her a little bit of time.”
This can be a growing story. Examine again for updates.
