New York Metropolis plans to construct a live-in “safe space” care facility for homeless folks with critical psychological sickness who’re repeatedly handled and discharged from metropolis hospitals, Mayor Adams stated Wednesday.
This system, dubbed “Bridge to Home” goals to cease “the revolving door” by taking in those that have been hospitalized repeatedly, filling a niche in care left after sufferers are discharged and have nowhere to go, Adams stated.
“The new facility will provide a safe space for New Yorkers with mental illness to live, to heal and be cared for so they get the life-changing help they need,” Adams stated from the Bellevue Hospital atrium in Manhattan.
“It will also help reduce unnecessary emergency room visits and inpatient hospitals. If we don’t get people off the streets that are dealing with medical issues, diabetes, heart disease, asthma, they end up in the emergency room,” Adams stated.
The plan is to accommodate sufferers for six to 12 months, giving them their very own room, three meals per day and on-site well being care together with remedy, treatment assist and substance use dysfunction therapy. The tip purpose is to graduate the sufferers into supportive housing, stated Dr. Mitchell Katz, head of town’s public hospital system.
The town has not but recognized the place the 1,000-bed, $13 million facility will probably be positioned. Adams, who has stated he desires to ramp up involuntary hospitalizations, a controversial initiative that takes those that seem like a menace to themselves or others off the streets and into hospitals, stated this system will probably be in motion in 2027.
A homeless man within the Bleecker Road subway station. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP through Getty Photographs)
Advocates slammed the announcement for missing particulars.
“Tackling homelessness requires meaningful and comprehensive new investments in affordable housing and our mental health care system, with strong community input. Unfortunately, the Mayor’s sparsely detailed announcement today, and his plan to curb our city’s homelessness, do not reflect that imperative,” Beth Haroules, senior workers legal professional on the New York Civil Liberties Union stated.
“If we don’t see these types of investments from our city leaders soon, we are headed for incredibly dark days, especially with another Trump administration.”
Adams introduced the $650 million in psychological well being funding over the subsequent 5 years final week at his State of the Metropolis tackle, the place he additionally declared his plans to dedicate a few of that funding to including extra Secure Haven beds, that are shelter beds for these with psychological sickness or habit.
Within the speech, he additionally dedicated to constructing 100,000 new properties in Manhattan.
