Freezing temps in the forecast mean more homeless deaths in the streets
This past Monday, thanks to the generosity of a few donors, St.Thomas Church on Fifth Avenue held a funeral for nine men who died on the streets of New York between December and February.
Their bodies were unclaimed, and so their ashes were laid to rest in the church’s Resurrection Chapel. The city enjoyed balmy fall weather this week, but the winter is fast approaching, and with it the inevitable question of what to do about New Yorkers who “choose” to remain outside when the temperature drops.Last year, at least 15 died from hypothermia, according to the city’s medical examiner, their bodies found on street corners from the East Village to Washington Heights to the Long Island Expressway.
Most of them had previous interaction with homeless services.But the mayor continued to insist through blizzards and deep freezes that city workers could not force people into shelter. Many legislators at the time wondered how any police officer or social worker could have determined these people were sane enough to make their own decisions.
“How can a person refusing to come indoors in freezing weather, where they are obviously at great risk of dying, not be assessed to be a danger to themselves?” Council Speaker Julie Menin asked during a February hearing.Democratic Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, who endorsed Mamdani for mayor, said that “being homeless shouldn’t be a death sentence… You can’t let the people stay out there.
These are people in crisis.”Indeed, a report released in August from the Department of Health and Social Services/Homeless Services found that of the 634 homeless residents who died between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025, almost half lost their lives because of drugs and alcohol.Despite all the other health problems that people who spend their lives on the street might have, drugs were still the leading cause of death — and by a long shot.
Drug-related fatalities accounted for 40 percent; heart disease the second mo...