New York City Braces for Deadly Blizzard, Homeless at Risk

Mayor Mamdani vows to learn from past mistakes as city scrambles to shelter vulnerable residents

Feb. 23, 2026 at 9:48pm

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Just weeks after a cold spell left at least 20 New Yorkers dead or dying on the streets, New York City's homeless population is facing another potentially lethal storm, as a blizzard blankets the boroughs with nearly two feet of snow and temperatures are slated to drop into the 20s overnight. Mayor Zohran Mamdani is again leading the city's response, vowing to apply lessons from the previous storm to better protect the homeless this time.

Why it matters

New York City has long struggled to address homelessness, and extreme winter weather events pose a serious threat to the city's most vulnerable residents. This storm highlights the ongoing challenges the Mamdani administration faces in providing adequate shelter and resources to the homeless population, especially in the aftermath of a previous deadly weather event.

The details

The city has dispatched hundreds of outreach workers to offer homeless people access to heated shelters, buses, hospitals, and schools. It has also sent out ambulettes to bring warm supplies directly to people living outside and transport them to shelters. However, some homeless individuals reported difficulty accessing the overcrowded shelter system, with one man saying he was turned away from a warming bus due to lack of space. Police have also been accused of confiscating sleeping bags and coats from homeless people seeking refuge in the subway system.

  • Just weeks after a previous cold spell left at least 20 New Yorkers dead or dying on the streets.
  • On Monday, Mayor Mamdani said that so far, no outdoor deaths had been reported during the current blizzard.
  • On Sunday morning, about 60 people were sheltering at a drop-in center in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan.
  • On Sunday, homeless individual Charles Crawford tried to stay at two 'Safe Haven' shelters, but they were full.
  • On Monday morning, homeless individuals appeared to outnumber passengers at the normally bustling Penn Station.

The players

Zohran Mamdani

The mayor of New York City who is leading the city's response to the deadly blizzard, vowing to apply lessons from the previous storm to better protect the homeless.

Charles Crawford

A 50-year-old homeless individual who was turned away from full shelters and warming buses, and ended up sleeping on a subway platform and under scaffolding.

Edward Roberts

A 64-year-old homeless man who spent the previous night sheltering in the passageway of a nearby store, using cardboard to block the wind.

Juan De La Cruz

The director of emergency relief services at the Coalition for the Homeless, who was handing out food and heard reports of police confiscating sleeping bags and coats from homeless individuals.

Dave Giffen

The executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless, who said the city should not be taking actions that put homeless people at risk or lessen their ability to stay warm during the blizzard.

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What they’re saying

“We took a hard look at everything that worked and started it from the first day of this blizzard response.”

— Zohran Mamdani, Mayor of New York City (New York Times)

“The shelter people are rough, there are mentally ill people, angry people, you won't have peace.”

— Edward Roberts (New York Times)

“They shouldn't be taking any actions that are going to put people at risk or lessen their ability to stay warm or survive the blizzard.”

— Dave Giffen, Executive Director, Coalition for the Homeless (New York Times)

What’s next

The mayor's office has promised to investigate reports of police confiscating homeless individuals' belongings, and the Coalition for the Homeless is calling for the city to ensure its actions do not further endanger the vulnerable population.

The takeaway

This storm serves as a critical test for the Mamdani administration's ability to learn from past mistakes and effectively protect New York City's homeless residents from the life-threatening dangers of extreme winter weather. The city's response will have lasting implications for how it addresses homelessness and emergency preparedness going forward.