NYC resumes homeless encampment sweeps with outreach before removal, following winter deaths.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has resumed homeless encampment sweeps with a revised approach focused on outreach and humane intervention. The city will post notices before clearing sites, send outreach workers daily for a week to connect individuals with shelter and services, and only remove encampments on the seventh day, with sanitation crews acting and police observing. The change follows a cold snap and several outdoor deaths, though officials confirm no fatalities were linked to encampments. While Council Speaker Julie Menin supports the move as life-saving, advocacy groups warn it may erode trust and deter future engagement. The strategy marks a shift from prior aggressive sweeps under former Mayor Eric Adams.