NYC Mayor Announces New Shelter Beds as Cold Snap Death Toll Rises to 14

The 50 single-room units in Upper Manhattan aim to remove barriers for homeless individuals reluctant to stay in group shelters.

Feb. 1, 2026 at 11:47am

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As temperatures in New York City dropped to single digits and the death toll during the deep freeze rose to 14, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the opening of 50 new single-room shelter units for homeless people in Upper Manhattan. The goal is to remove barriers that keep too many New Yorkers out in the cold. In the past week, nearly a foot of snow has blanketed the city, and the lingering bitter cold has left people living on the streets vulnerable.

Why it matters

New York City experiences cold-related deaths every year, and this year's toll now equals the number of New Yorkers who died in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida in 2021. The new shelter units are an attempt to reach those who may be reluctant to stay in traditional group shelters, as the city ramps up efforts to get people off the streets during the dangerous cold snap.

The details

The 50 new single-room shelter units will be located in Upper Manhattan, housing single people who may be reluctant to stay in group shelters. The city has also opened warming shelters, relaxed intake rules at homeless shelters, deployed warming buses, and sent out 17 on-call ambulettes to go directly to people in need. Additionally, the city has removed 16 New Yorkers from the streets against their will, up from 3 people last Monday, involving those 'who were determined to be a danger to themselves or others.'

  • In the past week, nearly a foot of snow has blanketed New York City.
  • On Jan. 5, the administration told the Police Department that the Department of Homeless Services and the Sanitation Department would now take the lead in reaching out to homeless people on the streets.
  • On Saturday, the mayor announced that the death toll of people found outside had reached 14, with preliminary findings indicating hypothermia played a role in 8 of these cases.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The mayor of New York City who announced the opening of the new single-room shelter units in Upper Manhattan.

Dave Giffen

The executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, who said the mayor's decision to open the new shelter is a 'welcome move.'

Christine Quinn

The head of the city's largest network of family shelters, WIN, who said her organization received a walk-in at an East New York, Brooklyn, shelter, which had never happened before in her tenure.

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What they’re saying

“We have been taking every possible measure to get New Yorkers inside. This has been a full, all-hands-on-deck approach.”

— Zohran Mamdani, Mayor (nytimes.com)

“Look, I am happy to see that the city is trying to get creative and moving quickly to try to find more options for people who are out on the streets and exposed to the cold.”

— Dave Giffen, Executive Director, Coalition for the Homeless (nytimes.com)

“It's never happened before in my tenure.”

— Christine Quinn, Head of WIN, the city's largest network of family shelters (nytimes.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This case highlights growing concerns in the community about repeat offenders released on bail, raising questions about bail reform, public safety on SF streets, and if any special laws to govern autonomous vehicles in residential and commercial areas.