City’s homeless outreach plan includes subway station shutdown

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Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for the closure of 10 end-of-the-line subway stops, including the Jamaica Center - Parsons/Archer stop in Jamaica, for increased cleaning and outreach to the city’s homeless population. Eagle file photo by David Brand

Mayor Bill de Blasio has called for the closure of 10 end-of-the-line subway stops, including the Jamaica Center - Parsons/Archer stop in Jamaica, for increased cleaning and outreach to the city’s homeless population. Eagle file photo by David Brand

By Victoria Merlino

Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday called on the MTA to close end-of-the-line stations during overnight hours to allow for deep cleaning and better outreach to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 crisis.

De Blasio wants the MTA to close 10 end-of-the-line stops throughout the city between midnight and 5 a.m. The plan includes two Queens stops:  Jamaica - 179th St. on the F line and Jamaica Center - Parsons/Archer on the E line. In the proposed plan, bus service to nearby stations would replace the closed stations. 

Under the plan, members of the NYPD Homeless Outreach team and the Department of Homeless Services will station themselves at the end-of-the-line stops to engage homeless individuals. They will present options for shelter and other resources, and see if they have any COVID-like symptoms, de Blasio said.

“Our COVID-19 response must prioritize the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” de Blasio said. “We are doing everything we can to strengthen our subway and street outreach to ensure that every New Yorker who needs a place to sleep will get one.”

De Blasio also announced that 200 new “Safe Haven” beds would open this week to provide a temporary place to stay for more individuals experiencing homelessness. 

The increased outreach comes after reports that many individuals experiencing homelessness are sheltering inside trains, causing delays. Interim NYC Transit President Sarah told the Daily News it was “outrageous” that the MTA is fulfilling a social service role in lieu of city action. 

“Happy city has agreed to do more to provide safe shelter for homeless NYers as we have been asking for months,” the MTA’s spokesperson wrote on Twitter in response to de Blasio’s plan. “Thank NYPD for their partnership & urge City Hall to take addl aggressive actions so we can focus on safely running transit service and not providing social services.”