Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks at the Office of Emergency Management headquarters in Brooklyn ahead of an expected snowstorm,

Mamdani Reverses Rule That Would Have Restricted Shelter Access

Feb 10, 2026

In February 2026, Mayor Mamdani rescinded a new rule that would have required New Yorkers to prove they had been living on the streets or in and out of shelters for at least six months in order to qualify for low-barrier transitional housing, including safe haven and stabilization beds.

His reversal came just days after THE CITY broke the news on the impending rule change, first set in motion by former Mayor Adams. We first reported on this rule change during the midst of the city’s deep freeze, where cold exposure and hypothermia took the lives of more than 20 New Yorkers. 

Days after our article, a group of nonprofits serving homeless people wrote a letter to the mayor, arguing this rule would only create more obstacles for vulnerable New Yorkers, who often turn to sleeping on the streets or in subways rather than having to deal with the strict curfews and lack of privacy of congregate shelters. The next day, the administration revoked the rule.

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