In this final Q&A segment of NYC’s Code Blue briefing, Mayor Mamdani and two top officials from his team answer tough questions about the city’s response to the dangerous cold.
Reporters press the mayor on whether NYC should bring people indoors involuntarily during life-threatening weather. Mamdani says forced removal is a “last resort”—used only when a person is a danger to themselves or others—and that the city’s main strategy is outreach and voluntary placement.
The questions then shift to the visible rise of unsheltered homelessness in the subway, whether outreach teams are targeting underground locations, and when the administration decided to expand emergency measures. Officials also address hospital discharge guidance during Code Blue, a report that at least one death may involve a recent discharge, and the city’s snow/sidewalk clearing efforts. The segment ends with reporters challenging the team on tracking how many people who came inside stayed versus returned to the streets, and the officials describing ongoing follow-ups and repeat checks at known locations.
Sources: Big New York news BigNY.com Video NYC.gov
