On March 11, encampment sweeps restarted in New York City. Sweeps are harmful: they lead to people losing their belongings (including items that help them stay warm in the cold) and destroy trust with outreach workers. They’re also ineffective: as the Safety Net Project wrote in a powerful post, just 5% of folks displaced by sweeps during the previous administration accepted shelter placement, and even fewer stayed in shelter for more than a few days. (Curious why some folks might hesitate to enter shelters? We’d recommend reading this 2021 report from the Coalition for the Homeless about the experiences of unsheltered New Yorkers.)

OHI will be joining the Safety Net Project on Wednesday, March 18 at 11am for a rally outside City Hall to tell the Mayor that we need solutions, not sweeps. Join us!