Mayor Zohran Mamdani: Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I wanted to first give an update on the life-threatening cold that this city has been enduring for days. Yesterday, I shared that the city has placed 170 homeless New Yorkers off the streets and into transitional housing like shelters, safe havens, and stabilized beds. I can also share today that since January 19th, the city has made nearly 500 of those placements. But at least 10 New Yorkers have tragically lost their lives after being found outdoors. We don't yet know whether every case will be ruled hypothermia, but we need every New Yorker to be on alert, looking out for their neighbors.
The city remains in Code Blue, which means that we are intensifying outreach, that we are conducting round-the-clock checks, and have loosened traditional shelter intake procedures to accommodate as many New Yorkers as possible. 311 calls are being rerouted to 911, so help gets there faster. And we are immensely grateful for the 911 operators, who serve as the connective tissue of our emergency operations. But Code Blue alone is not enough in a cold this severe, this rare.
To remind New Yorkers, this is the coldest weather conditions that we have experienced in this city for eight years. And that is why we are executing new, additional emergency protocols to enhance our efforts. We are sending out requests to send staff out every few hours to canvass nearby blocks and engage anyone who needs assistance. This would be from our shelter partners, as well as asking faith-based organizations to assist in some of those outreach efforts. We are also partnering with advocates and volunteers like Street Homeless Advocacy Project (SHAP) to conduct extra shifts this week in high-need areas.
We have also asked hospitals to limit overnight discharges to ensure that people who have nowhere to go are kept indoors. We have opened up 10 new warming shelters since Friday. Last night, we opened an additional seven H + H health centers across all five boroughs. Additionally, above the existing warming buses that we have already put into operation, we have added 10 new warming buses at key locations across the city. We are also expanding overnight outreach from city workers with paid overtime so that our city can continue to get homeless New Yorkers inside.
And we are expanding the hours of eight S.H.O.W. vans to make sure we can bring people indoors during late and early hours, including using their vans for transport and for temporary shelter. We are working with the state, finally, to redirect mental health teams to focus on life-saving street and subway outreach. And for any additional information on the location of these new warming centers or on the resources that I have mentioned, please do call 311. When the cold is this deadly, we need to meet the moment and leave no stone unturned. That is why the annual HOPE count has also been postponed during this current emergency. Outreach workers should be focused on bringing New Yorkers inside, not on data collection.
Here is the bottom line, New York City. Extreme weather is not a personal failure, but it is a public responsibility. If we have the resources to act, we have the obligation to act. And we are mobilizing every resource at our disposal to ensure that New Yorkers are brought indoors during this potentially lethal weather event. We will also make sure we remain upfront and transparent with our city, just as we have over the past week. Please stay indoors when you are able to, stay inside, and stay warm.
Now for today's announcement. Over the past 27 days, City Hall has sought to govern in a way that mirrors the way the people of this city live their lives, with a hunger to innovate and tackle every problem that lies in our path, and by putting in the work. I am proud of the work that we have done over these first three and a half weeks, and today we are together to announce the next batch of appointments to our City government, three New Yorkers who will help us deepen that very work.
First, I am delighted to announce that Sharun Goodwin will serve as the commissioner of the Department of Probation. I can hardly think of anyone more prepared to assume this responsibility, or more experienced in the important work that the DOP leads each day. Sharun has dedicated 37 years of service to the DOP. She began as an intern in 1986, and rose to serve as deputy commissioner for Adult Operations before retiring in 2024.
Along the way, she served as a probation officer, a court liaison officer, a trainer, the Queens County Adult Operations Branch chief, and an assistant commissioner for both Bronx County Adult Operations and citywide community engagement. She has worked in all five boroughs, a badge of honor that few in this city wear. And I want New Yorkers like Sharun, who have a proven record of achievement and a deep passion for service, to stand at the front of this administration. I am grateful to her for returning to public service from retirement, and I'm very much looking forward to working with her to make the DOP a force for justice and lasting change in New Yorkers' lives.
Next, I am very excited to announce that Yume Kitasei will serve as the commissioner of the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. DCAS is one of the most quietly influential parts of City government, a department with the remit of ensuring that government works well, and that agencies across our city can function at their full potential. As commissioner, Yume will oversee the work of recruiting and training city employees, the greenest municipal fleet in the nation, 55 public buildings, and lowering our city's carbon emissions. Yume is the perfect person to lead DCAS. Not only is she a City Hall veteran, having previously served as the chief of staff to the first deputy mayor and the deputy mayor for Operations, she has also worked across countless levels of City government. Like many New Yorkers, Yume contains multitudes. She is also an accomplished novelist. And while this brings me no pleasure to announce, Yume has achieved something I never could. She was successfully admitted to Stuyvesant High School.
I am also thrilled to name Lisa Garcia as our commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. In that role, I will turn to Lisa to lead some of the most important work that City Hall does on behalf of New Yorkers. Protecting them each day from pollution, leading stormwater management, overseeing our wastewater collection efforts, and managing our city's water supply. Every day, New Yorkers drink more than 1 billion gallons of drinking water. What we rely on to survive, to go about our days, to lead healthy lives. The person responsible for stewarding that supply must be someone with the experience needed to meet the seriousness of this role. Lisa is that leader, with a long record of pursuing environmental justice and protecting public health. Most recently, she was appointed by President Biden to serve as the administrator of EPA's Region 2, which includes New York, where she managed a staff of over 1,000, oversaw $1 billion in funding, and led initiatives that lowered pollution and improved air and water quality.
Each of these New Yorkers share a common commitment to service, a desire to place the city and its needs before their own, and a real ambition to deepen what New Yorkers expect from their government. I am grateful to them for joining our administration, and very much look forward to working together with them to deliver a new era for New York. Thank you very much. And now, Commissioner Goodwin.
Commissioner Sharun Goodwin, Department of Probation: Thank you, Mayor Mamdani. I am deeply honored and humbled to accept this appointment as commissioner of [Department of] Probation. Today is more than a professional milestone. It is the continuation of a journey that began many years ago when I first walked through the doors of this department as an intern. Eager to learn and determined to serve, I have had the privilege of working at every level of this agency as an intern, probation officer trainee, PO, probation officer supervisor, branch chief, and assistant commissioner, and lastly, as deputy commissioner.
After 37 years of dedicated public service, I've worked in every borough of this city, and those experiences have shaped my understanding of what this work truly means. As a lifelong New York City resident, born and raised in the Bronx, this role is deeply personal to me. I understand the challenges our communities face, and I carry with me a profound responsibility to serve this city with integrity, urgency, and care.
My experience has taught me that probation is not simply about supervision. It is about accountability and opportunity. It is about public safety through human dignity and investments in our communities. It is about protecting our neighborhoods while helping individuals rebuild their lives and give back to the city they love.
I lead with a servant leadership mindset. That means putting people first—our dedicated officers and staff, our justice partners, and the communities we serve. It means listening before acting, supporting those on the front lines, and creating an environment where excellence, professionalism, and integrity are the standard.
To the men and women of the Department of Probation, you are the backbone of this agency. I am committed to investing in your training, your safety, your wellness, and your professional growth. When our workforce is supported and empowered, our communities are safer and stronger. To the residents of New York City, I accept this role with a clear purpose: to help build a safer, more just city. We will strengthen community partnerships, use data-driven strategies, expand effective rehabilitation programs, and remain laser-focused on reducing recidivism while holding individuals accountable. Public safety and compassion are not opposing forces. They are complementary responsibilities.
When we balance enforcement with opportunity, structure with support, and accountability with hope, we create lasting change. I thank Mayor Mamdani, our justice partners, community leaders, and my family for your trust and support. I pledge to lead with transparency, courage, and unwavering dedication to the people of this city. Together, we will move this department forward. Together, we will strengthen communities, and together, we will continue to work [on] building a safer New York for all.
Mayor Mamdani: And now, our new commissioner of DCAS, Yume.
Commissioner Yume Kitasei, Department of Citywide Administrative Services: Good morning. I'm Yume Kitasei, and I've been passionate about City government since I was a student at Stuyvesant, thanks to a teacher who is here today. Thank you, Ms. Suri. Back then, I used to track Council Member Gale Brewer's legislative stats, the way some kids follow baseball players. I got an internship with the city comptroller's vouchering office, because at 16, that seemed like the coolest way to spend my summer.
And I've worked in City government ever since. Public service is about building the future, not tending the status quo. We come in every day, and we ask ourselves, “How can we do more, better?” And if you want to improve City government, you can't do it without the Department of Citywide Administrative Services. If you're a government nerd like me, you already know how important the workers of this agency are.
DCAS supports other agencies through workforce policies and its management of city properties and other assets. It's the key to tackling slow and cumbersome hiring processes, addressing vacancies, and redeveloping city property, and meeting our climate targets.
I'm extremely humbled and excited to get to be a part of those efforts and this team. Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for believing in a better version of City government, and for giving me this opportunity. And thank you, First Deputy Mayor Dean Fuleihan, for being a mentor, and Deputy Mayor Kerson, and all the colleagues who have supported and taught me so much along the way. And lastly, thank you to my family. I can't wait to get to work. Thank you.
Mayor Mamdani: Now, Lisa Garcia.
Commissioner Lisa Garcia, Department of Environmental Protection: Thank you, Mayor Mamdani. This is really an incredible opportunity, and it is such an honor to be here today and alongside my fellow appointees. Congratulations. As we can see, this administration is building a team of public servants who are dedicated to delivering the services that New Yorkers rely on.
That is why I am thrilled to be here today, taking on the job of commissioner of the Department of Environmental Protection. New York City DEP is critical to all of us. I have seen how important the work is, not just as a New Yorker using their services every day, but also in my previous role as administrator for Region 2 in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where I oversaw the entire region, including New York.
DEP and its hardworking staff, who I look forward to joining soon, [are] at the heart of so much of what New Yorkers expect from the city. When you turn on the tap, that's DEP delivering our world-famous safe, clean drinking water. When you take that refreshing shower, that's DEP. And yes, even when you flush the toilet, that's DEP making sure it's whisked away and you don't have to worry about it.
Given the challenges also of climate change, it is critical that DEP take the lead in protecting against climate impacts. Climate impacts such as severe storms we've been seeing and more flooding, unfortunately, we need to make investments in long-term climate and sustainable solutions for the 21st century and beyond. It will also be our job, and I'm looking forward to working with DEP on this, to make sure that we deliver services equitably so that no community is left behind or underserved.
Throughout my career, I have always advocated for environmental and climate justice, whether representing community groups, working in the government, large NGOs, or in academia. And now, working with this administration and the mayor and the team, I will help advance those justice principles at DEP.
Yes, the infrastructure and resiliency needs of New York City are challenging, but I know that this administration is up to the task, and I'm excited to get to work. Thank you again, Mayor Mamdani, for this appointment. I look forward to serving the people of New York and working aside everyone. Thank you.
Question: I have a question for both of the new commissioners. The first, for DCAS, the prior administration said that they were going to review all the leases that were under Jesse Hamilton's purview. He was a former administrative official, he was indicted. The public has not seen these findings. So, for you, Commissioner Kitasei, will you go through the review and then will you release it? And then I have a question for Commissioner Garcia.
Mayor Mamdani: And I'll just say, before our new commissioner steps up, that I will demand the world of our new commissioner. I also will give her a little bit of time [in] settling in with some of the questions. But if there's anything you want to add.
Commissioner Kitasei: I just wanted to add that, of course, we're going to do a deep review of everything. And we'll work with the team to – I mean, we'll work with the team to commit to transparency.
Question: I mean, you worked for the previous administration. Will you release the results of that particular review?
Mayor Mamdani: I'll give her at least a few full days on the job before having to get back to you on that.
Question: For Commissioner Garcia. So, specifically when it comes to the ongoing work of DEP, things like the big water tunnel fix, what are you planning to advance and or what do you see room to make New York City more affordable within DEP’s purview?
Commissioner Garcia: Yeah, I look forward to also taking a few days to get up to speed. But I believe certainly some of the capital projects that have been invested in, we will go forward with those. And again, we're going through this with a lens of making sure that we're tackling any climate impacts, so improvements along that, and also the equity and environmental justice piece.
But also finding efficiencies. I know that there's – we're under a crunch, and we lost federal funding, but we're going to be really active in making sure that the work gets done. And to your question about the day-to-day, we will make sure that New Yorkers will not feel any squeeze or any problems. We want to make sure that they get their water and the sewers are working day-to-day as has been.
Question: I also have a question for you, commissioner. There is a big presence of DEP in Greenpoint. I'm just going to ask if there [are] any new plans you have for that area. There is a big project [underway] there. So that's just my question.
Mayor Mamdani: I think I can just say kind of broadly, one of the things that I really appreciated about our new commissioner and also her remarks is that the service that DEP will provide will be equitable. For too long, New Yorkers have had to ask themselves if based on their zip code or their neighborhood, they're going to experience City government any differently.
And one of the things that we've been asking everyone that we've been interviewing, and especially that came up in our own DEP conversations, is how do we ensure the service is the same no matter where you are. So, for someone who lives in Greenpoint, they can look forward to the same kind of service as anyone else across the city.
Question: I have two questions. The first is for Ms. Goodwin. Your predecessor, and maybe this had something to do with why you left, famously filled the department – it was like a friends and family employment plan. Do you plan on sort of rooting out some of that nepotism that was endemic there?
Commissioner Goodwin: What I can say is that when I get in the position, I will look into what I hear, but I'm not certain that what is reported is what it is. So, I'll give [myself] an opportunity to evaluate and assess what needs to be done, if something needs to be done.
Question: And then the other on-topic question, it pertains to Ms. Garcia, but is for you. Do you intend to, again, charge DEP's water board rent, which the prior administration did and led to 8.5 percent water rate increases?
Mayor Mamdani: We're going to be going through that as soon as our new commissioner gets into the job.
Question: To follow up on Dana's question for the commissioner, for the DOP commissioner, you were saying, “I'm not certain of what has been reported about cronyism in the department is what it is.” Can you just elaborate a little bit?
Mayor Mamdani: I can actually just add a few things to this. When we speak about having a new era in city politics, it is also a desire to earn New Yorker's trust and faith about the decisions that are being made within City government. And part of the driving force in our decision to announce Ms. Goodwin here as one of the leaders in our City government is that she is going to lead with a commitment not only to justice, not only to public safety, but also to fairness, and also looking to deliver efficiency and excellence.
That is going to be a hallmark of her work [and] it's going to be a hallmark of DOP. And I think for too long, New Yorkers have had to ask themselves about the decisions that are being made, whether they have more to do with who someone knows, when someone worked with someone. We want New Yorkers to look at the work that's being done and see it for what it is, which is the work, not who's doing it and why they got that job.
Question: Can I ask the DOP commissioner, though, and since you've worked on [inaudible] reforms for such a long time, I was wondering if the commissioner can comment on [inaudible] Commissioner Holmes' tenure.
Mayor Mamdani: I'm going to allow the commissioner to focus on the days ahead. I'm happy to take additional questions, though.
Question: I would like to address the commissioner of [the] Department of [Environmental Protection], La Comisionada Garcia. In Spanish, if I'm allowed, it's about the perpetual rate of asthma children incidents in the Bronx.
Comisionada, siempre hemos visto que el asma es tan relevante en el Bronx no? Con los ni ños y ese problema sigue ahi por a ños y a ños y a ños. Que puede hacer usted como comisionada para realmente deshacerce de ese problema de una vez por todas?
Translation: Commissioner, we have always seen that asthma is prevalent in the Bronx, right? With children, [especially] and that issue continues to be there for years and years and years. What can you do as commissioner to finally resolve that issue for good?
Commissioner Garcia: Si pues es un problema grande y yo tambien tengo asma y vivi en el Bronx. Entonces es algo muy importante que conozco. Pero la verdad es que vamos a seguir trabajando con las comunidades. Quiero salir y hablar con comunidades para ver que soluciones no hemos puesto y ponerlo en adelante porque es muy importante, que no solamente tenemos agua limpia pero que tenemos aire limpio tambien. Y el DEP si tiene como autoridad para trabajar en eso entonces estamos propuesto (dispuesto?) para ir adelante en eso tambien; trabajar para proteger la salud tambien de los neuyorkinos.
Translation: Yes, well it is a big issue and I also have asthma, and lived in the Bronx. So it is very important and I know it. The truth is that we will continue to work with communities. I want to go out and speak with the communities to learn the solutions that we haven’t brought and bring them forward because it is important, not only that we have clean water but also clean air as well. And the DEP does have authority to work on that so we are [willing] to move forward with that as well; work to protect New Yorkers’ health.
Question: Quickly to Commissioner Goodwin. Can you please tell us what you would do first? What would be the first wrong that you would like to make right when it comes to probation? Especially when it comes to minorities like Hispanic men?
Commissioner Goodwin: The first thing I'm going to do is actually meet with my staff, meet with my community partners, as well as [the] judiciary. Those are the first things. Just to get a listening tour on finding out what [it is] that concerns them. And then from there, I'm going to be looking at our case loads, our staffing. It’s a lot of work in front of me and I look forward to doing it.
Question: Has there been any change in the policy at all with regard to involuntary removals of people to a hospital in a situation like this, since you've come into office. Because I know you don't always love involuntary removals. So, if you could talk about that.
And also, are outreach workers for the city still working off that known homeless person's list? They used to call it the by-name list that Steve Banks started during the de Blasio years. If so, are you checking the known locations of those unsheltered people? And did any of the people who died, to your knowledge, were they on that list?
Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, Department of Social Services: Yes, we still use that list. So, the DHS outreach workers and our provider outreach workers are focused on a list of approximately 350 individuals who are known to have underlying medical conditions, older adults, people who are at particular risk – well, everyone is at risk – but in particular risk in these circumstances. They are reaching out. They are trying to engage with them every two hours. Obviously, people are mobile, we don't always find everybody every two hours. But really, that focus is there, while 911 is handling more of the general calls with people without that known history.
So, we're very focused on that. The individuals who have very tragically passed away, there are people with DHS history. At this point, I don't want to go too in-depth because there are situations that are still under investigation. But to the best of my knowledge, it's not individuals on the by-name list. With respect to involuntary removals, it is DHS's policy to do them only in situations where there is no other option.
We are focused wherever possible on building relationships of trust. As the mayor noted, we've been able to bring in more than 500 people almost entirely voluntarily over the last week. That is really our focus. But if somebody is truly in danger, we will take action to save their lives.
Question: Mr. Mayor, what's your feeling on bringing people in involuntarily in this weather? If they don't want to come in, should the city at this point be forcing them to come in?
Mayor Mamdani: You know, I think it's as the commissioner has said, if a New Yorker is a danger to themselves or to others, then that's the driving force of that decision. I think also, as she said, this is a last resort. Our first method of outreach is to communicate to homeless New Yorkers across the five boroughs as to the options that they have. We are, however, not going to leave someone out in the cold if they're a danger to themselves or to others.
Question: So, two questions related to the cold. I think anyone moving around on the subways the last couple days notices there's been a sizable increase in the number of homeless individuals on the subway system. You can understand why. But I was wondering if your outreach work is targeting those individuals for shelter, or saying, “They're warm enough, let them be.” That's question one.
And then question two, I was wondering when you and your team began discussing this sort of next phase in additional heat response resources. To be frank, sir, did you look at deaths coming in and say, “Hey, guys, we got to do something more?”
Mayor Mamdani: I think, frankly, what we looked at is the continued forecast that we're seeing, where the snow may have subsided in terms of the snowfall. The cold is not subsiding. It is continuing. And what we're seeing is that the most emergency measures that our city has taken historically, it is still something that is in need to catch up to this extended cold period. So, I think it's not just about resting on the laurels of a Code Blue. We have to find every tool at our disposal.
And one thing that I'm appreciative about our team is that they have continued to push to look both inwards and outwards as to resources that can be used, always asking ourselves what can connect more New Yorkers with services. And I also do want to say thank you to New Yorkers directly, because for New Yorkers across the five boroughs who have called 311 that has then been rerouted to 911, that has helped us to supplement our outreach efforts. Because they have also been the eyes and ears of our City government to ensure that we are not leaving New Yorkers out in the cold. I know you had another question.
Commissioner Wasow Park: So, we have a dedicated not-for-profit provider that works exclusively in the subway, so they have continued all of that work and will continue that work without competing [with] what we're doing above ground. But we partner the work that we do underground along with the warming center work.
So, we have warming buses, for example, located at end-of-line stations, which we know can be particular concentrations of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. So, that work continues. We continue to engage with people underground, while also increasing the attention above ground.
Question: You mentioned limiting discharges at hospitals. I'm wondering, is this policy currently in effect in the city's hospitals? When did that go into effect? If it wasn't in effect, prior to this storm, why not?
Commissioner Wasow Park: So, it's standard policy within Code Blue that all hospital waiting rooms are accessible to those experiencing unsheltered homelessness. We have reiterated that guidance, and also put out additional guidance to remind people and hospitals that overnight discharges, and discharges whenever there isn't a dedicated, known place for that person to go should be limited. This is – while it has been standing advice, we reiterated that and strengthened it yesterday.
Question: We'll be reporting that at least one of the deaths was someone who was discharged from [the] city hospital this week. So, I'm wondering, is that currently under investigation by the city now? Should that person have been discharged given the forecast or the forecast shower as of last week?
Mayor Mamdani: I think we can get back to you on that question.
Question: Mr. Mayor, I actually have two questions. The first of which is, you cited the stat that there's been 500 people who have taken shelter amid the storm. How many of them have stayed in shelter and how many of them have left shelter to return to the streets in the crippling cold?
The second question is, a lot of people struggled to get around yesterday [because] the sidewalks weren't clear. What can the city do to clear the sidewalks?
Mayor Mamdani: So, I think that we are constantly asking ourselves what more this city can do to meet the needs of New Yorkers. I'm going to have our Deputy Mayor Kerson, who I think is right over here, to just step up to that second question.
Deputy Mayor Julia Kerson, Mayor’s Office of Operations: Thank you. So, as of 6:15 [a.m.] this morning, 75 percent of the bus stops with bus shelters have been cleared by [the] DOT contracting workforce. Sanitation is actually also managing a workforce of more than 1,000 folks who are headed out to clear sidewalks and additional bus stops without shelters.
Yesterday, they got to 1,800 bus stops, 6,000 crosswalks, 1,800 hydrants. I will say normally we have the help of warmer weather in melting the snow, but we do not have that this week. We will continue to put more resources into the very manual labor of hand-clearing these crosswalks, and we ask for just a little bit of patience as we get to that work.
[Crosstalk.]
Commissioner Wasow Park: So, while I can't track back at the moment exactly to that 500, what I know is we have been doing follow-ups to the individuals that came into the warming centers, who over the weekend, the emergency sites that we stood up, we were able to connect all of those people with ongoing placements, once the initial phase of those warming centers transitioned to the next phase.
So, some of them [came] into safe havens, some of them [came] into drop-in centers, others moved to the next warming center. So, we are really doing ongoing engagement. We are following up, and we go back to the same locations. That is part of the work that our outreach teams do, so that a site that was clear at 1 o'clock, we will go back there at 3 o'clock to make sure that it is still clear.
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