Overview
- Officials report 17 people found dead outdoors during the deep freeze, with preliminary counts indicating 13 hypothermia cases, three suspected overdoses, and one pending determination.
- Enhanced Code Blue has been in effect since Jan. 19, with more than 1,250 placements into shelters and safe havens and 27 involuntary hospital transports.
- New capacity includes about 65 hotel shelter units, 62 warming centers and vehicles, 10 public schools and two CUNY sites as warming centers, two overdose prevention centers operating 24/7, and a new 106-bed Safe Haven in Lower Manhattan.
- Outreach is being widened through school nurses, formerly homeless peer workers, violence interrupters, business improvement districts, and partner nonprofits, with faster access to help via 311 and LinkNYC kiosks.
- An Extreme Cold Warning is in effect for the weekend with wind chills forecast to fall to 10 below or lower, and officials urge anyone outdoors to come inside to avoid life-threatening exposure.