New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds a press conference on the City's winter weather preparations at the Spring Street Salt Shed in Manhattan on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
(New York, New York) — New York City officials announced plans to close the long-standing Bellevue homeless shelter in Manhattan, citing ongoing safety concerns and deteriorating conditions at the historic facility.
The shelter, located at 400 East 30th Street near Bellevue Hospital, has served for decades as one of the city’s primary intake centers for homeless men and adult families entering the shelter system. The nine-story, city-owned building was originally part of Bellevue Hospital’s former psychiatric ward and has the capacity to house roughly 850 people, though about 250 residents currently live at the site.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the decision to close the shelter was driven by concerns about safety and the condition of the facility.
“My administration is focused on ensuring every New Yorker experiencing homelessness not only has access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe, humane and truly livable,” Mamdani said in a statement. “We cannot accept a system that treats people without dignity or stability.”
Residents to be relocated
According to city officials, the Bellevue facility will close before the end of April, with changes to intake operations beginning May 1.
Homeless men who would normally enter the shelter system through Bellevue will instead be directed to a facility at 8 East 3rd Street in Manhattan, while adult families will be referred to another intake center at 333 Bowery, both located on the Lower East Side.
Current residents of the Bellevue shelter will be relocated to temporary housing in Brooklyn shelters while officials work to arrange longer-term placements.
The New York City Department of Homeless Services said it will maintain a small presence at the Bellevue site for at least a year after the closure to help redirect individuals who arrive there seeking shelter. Transportation to the new intake locations will also be provided throughout the day.
City leaders also said they plan to launch a regional communications campaign to inform the public about the relocation of the intake center while officials begin developing a long-term redevelopment plan for the Bellevue site.
Long-standing problems at the facility
Concerns about conditions inside the Bellevue shelter date back years.
A 2015 oversight report by the New York State Comptroller’s Office found the building had deteriorated to such a degree that its problems could not be addressed through a standard corrective plan.
At the time, however, officials said the shelter could not realistically be closed because of the large number of people it served and the lack of alternative placements in the city’s shelter system.
Advocates raise concerns
The announcement drew criticism from homeless advocacy groups, who warned the move could create confusion and instability for vulnerable New Yorkers.
The Legal Aid Society and the Coalition for the Homeless issued a joint statement expressing concern about the short timeline.
“Any disruption to this critical front door to shelter — especially on short notice — risks creating confusion and additional hardship for people who are already experiencing homelessness,” the groups said.
Advocates also warned that abrupt changes to the intake system could discourage people from seeking shelter or leave some individuals sleeping outside longer.
The closure announcement comes after a recent cold snap in New York City that left at least 16 people dead, prompting renewed scrutiny of the city’s outreach efforts to individuals experiencing homelessness during extreme weather.
