New York Mayor Mamdani puts $25 million into expanded winter Code Blue plan

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced on Monday (November 9) $25 million to expand the winter Code Blue cold-weather emergency plan and step up citywide snow and ice removal. The package adds more than 300 street outreach workers, 800 emergency shelter beds, four warming centres and 20 warming buses. (Image: file photo of people sheltering outdoors in snowy New York.)

Proactive outreach, not just a high-risk list

According to the city, the more than 300 new street outreach workers will cover all five boroughs, proactively engaging people sleeping rough rather than only visiting those on a high-risk list. Of the 800 new emergency shelter beds, more than 600 are in single or double rooms; the new warming centres and buses will offer places to escape the cold, with additional nurses able to provide medical care on site.

Code Blue is activated when temperatures fall below 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 Celsius), when shelters operate an open-door policy; calls to the 311 helpline are routed to 911. Last winter, more than 20 homeless people died outdoors or at home during severe cold. The National Weather Service expects a warmer, wetter winter this year under a strong El Niño, with a higher risk of freezing rain and ice.

Snow-shoveller pay raised

On snow removal, the city is raising pay for Emergency Snow Shovelers to $30 an hour, and $45 for overtime. The mayor's office said the expanded winter response is meant to ensure no one is left out on the street in the cold.