New Yorkers witnessed more homelessness, encampments during Mayor Adams’ first year: 311 data

New Yorkers filed a record number of 311 requests related to unsheltered homelessness, including individuals in need of assistance or reports of encampments, during Mayor Eric Adams' first year in office, which was marked with high-profile policies aimed at reducing homelessness.

In 2022, 311 requests for homeless assistance and complaints about encampments increased 27% compared to the prior year, even as the Adams administration began rolling out policies that removed homeless people from public spaces early in his term. New Yorkers made in total last year about 36,000 requests for homeless assistance and approximately 34,000 related to encampments.

Complaints about encampments and about people living on streets and sidewalks drove the overall increase: New Yorkers made 62% more encampment requests in 2022 than 2021, and 70% more requests about streets and sidewalks. Residents of Manhattan were far more likely to complain about homelessness than other boroughs as almost two-thirds of requests citywide came from there.

The policy shifts began last February, when Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced homeless people would be forced to leave trains at the end of the line. The move came not long after an unsheltered New Yorker with a history of mental illness fatally pushed a woman on to the tracks unprovoked.

But by year’s end, the city’s Department of Homeless Services received more complaints about encampments and referred more requests for assistance to police in 2022 compared to prior years — even though these requests often do not lead to people actually accepting shelter. Only about one in five accepted such assistance last year, according to 311 data.

WNYC host Sean Carlson spoke with health reporter Betsy Ladyzhets about these trends and what they mean for unsheltered populations under the Adams administration. Click "listen" in the player to hear their conversation, and visit Gothamist for more details.