New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference at the New York City Office of Emergency Management, as a major winter storm spreads across a large swath of the United States, in Brooklyn, New York City, U.S., January 25, 2026. REUTERS/Bing Guan
(New York, New York) – A newly released analysis of city data shows that the overwhelming majority of emergency calls requesting help for homeless New Yorkers during a recent deadly cold snap did not result in assistance.
According to records reviewed during a City Council hearing, 1,183 “homeless person assistance” calls were made to the city’s 311 system between January 25 and February 9 as frigid temperatures gripped the city.
Of those calls, 96% did not lead to services being provided.
During the same period, 18 homeless individuals died, and the city’s medical examiner testified that at least 15 of those deaths were directly linked to hypothermia.
What the Data Shows
Officials testified that:
- In 850 cases (72%), outreach workers were unable to locate the individual reported to 311.
- In 250 cases, the person declined services offered by a mobile outreach team.
- Only 20 individuals ultimately accepted assistance, including shelter placement or mental health support.
The figures were discussed during a City Council oversight hearing examining the administration’s handling of the prolonged cold weather emergency.
City Council Speaker Julie Menin said the deaths were not inevitable, pointing to what she described as gaps in outreach, shelter capacity, mental health resources and follow-up efforts.
311 vs. 911 Confusion
At issue during the hearing was how emergency cold-weather calls were handled.
Under the city’s “Code Blue” protocol — triggered during extreme cold — homeless assistance calls were directed to 911 only during overnight hours. Officials acknowledged that the system was later changed to an “enhanced Code Blue,” shifting all homeless-related calls to 911 operators.
Some council members criticized the delay, arguing that faster escalation could have improved response times during life-threatening conditions.
“In deep freeze situations, we have to take Code Blue seriously because time is of the essence when lives are on the line,” said Councilman Phil Wong during the hearing.
New York
Officials from the Department of Social Services and the city’s emergency management office said the prolonged cold that followed a January winter storm created additional operational challenges.
They also emphasized that outreach teams cannot legally force individuals into shelter except under limited circumstances, and that many people reported through 311 could not be located by the time workers arrived.
The hearing focused on how to improve coordination between agencies and reduce delays in future emergencies.
