New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s difficult first month-plus in office is getting worse, with the newly inaugurated mayor facing widespread backlash over how the city has handled its homeless population amid a brutal winter.
Mamdani has repeatedly refused to force homeless people into shelters during one of the coldest winters in recent memory. The city has confirmed at least 18 people have died outdoors, including an 86-year-old homeless man this past weekend.
“Each loss of life is a tragedy,” Mamdani said on Monday. “We will continue to hold their families in our thoughts.”
However, Mamdani previously ordered the New York Police Department, along with the city’s sanitation workers, to stop tearing down homeless encampments. Police are only allowed to intervene if someone is experiencing a medical emergency.
“They should be doing everything they can to get them inside,” Brian Stettin, a former adviser to ex–New York City Mayor Eric Adams, told the New York Post. “That is why we need cops out on the streets. We are talking about an imminent threat to rights or safety. There shouldn’t be any debate with advocates over that.”
As NYC freezes, legitimate groups are feeding the homeless and handing out blankets. But history matters. In past incidents, anarchist groups hiding behind “mutual aid” posed as activists while paying homeless individuals to show up at protests — often targeting the severely… pic.twitter.com/s1BjbscerG
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) February 4, 2026
Mamdani finds himself in a difficult situation, and it may be too late to turn things around. Although temperatures are slowly climbing in the Northeast, it does not change the fact that 18 people have died thus far. It is unclear how many of those 18 were homeless.
New York City has warming centers and buses, though the buses reportedly change locations daily. Clips and videos regularly circulate on social media showing homeless people freezing and seeking any type of warmth.
“It’s been essentially confusion across the board,” a City Council source told The Post. “Sanitation is now like maid services for the homeless.”
Mayor Mamdani has already allowed 16 people to pass away from the cold related to the recent snow storm.
Homeless people in NYC stand over manhole covers for warmth they’re so desperate.
Residents are rightly calling for Mamdani’s resignation over this.pic.twitter.com/4pCPTSc9xd
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) February 3, 2026
Social media reactions to Mamdani and New York City’s homeless issues only go so far, especially considering there are plenty of X users who will never give Mamdani credit when he does things correctly. It is more telling when people who have experienced — or are currently experiencing — a New York City winter lend their thoughts, and the majority of feedback regarding Mamdani’s administration’s handling of the homeless in recent weeks has been extremely negative.
It is still too early to know whether Mamdani will change his approach next winter. The warming centers are a strong start, though they only go so far when he essentially refuses to help the homeless population.
However, it appears much of New York City has not given up on Mamdani just yet. A Siena Research Institute poll conducted from Jan. 26–28 found Mamdani’s approval rating stands at 48%, compared to a 32% unfavorable rating. His approval rating is up from 46% in December.
