NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A federal count conducted this past winter found New York City saw a significant drop in its homeless population amid the pandemic.
The annual HOPE count showed an estimated 38% decrease in New Yorkers living on the streets.
Mayor Bill de Blasio attributes the drop to intensive outreach and new strategies.
During the pandemic, the city opened 1,300 specialized Safe Haven beds, some in hotels, which created controversy on the Upper West Side and in the Financial District.
As tourists return to the Big Apple, the city continues to move the homeless out of hotels.
"The hotels were only a temporary emergency measure. In the weeks ahead, we'll have more to say on that, we'll reverse that and bring people back to shelter, but of course in the meantime get as many people to permanent housing as possible," de Blasio said during his daily briefing Thursday.
The count also showed a 23% decrease in the number of homeless on the subways.
Steve Banks, the city's commissioner for social services, said 800 found shelter and remained off the street.
"That's our gold standard. One night is a victory, but we want to make sure people stay off the subways and off the streets, and we've got 800 human beings who are off because of these efforts," Banks said.
The mayor said during his eight years in office, 150,000 homeless New Yorkers have been given permanent affordable housing.