Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Wednesday that she would allocate $43 million to expand psychiatric services amid the debate over involuntary hospitalization in the Big Apple.
On Jan. 28, the governor stated that the funding would expand statewide and be allocated to emergency mental health programs, which she says will improve the safety of psychiatric units, increase the number of beds used to serve those in need, and even add capacity to treat children. Hochul’s office says the state Office of Mental Health has issued $23 million to develop new and expand existing resources, while an additional $20 million has been provided to solely increase bed capacity.
“Part of our efforts to strengthen our mental health care system is ensuring any New Yorker in crisis can access treatment services whenever and wherever they need them,”Hochul said. “By expanding psychiatric emergency programs and building more inpatient capacity, we can ensure that anyone who experiences a mental health crisis can get the timely, comprehensive care they can rely on to begin their journey toward recovery.”
This comes as debate is renewed regarding whether homeless individuals living with mental health issues should be involuntarily hospitalized, especially during the winter. Those living with mental disorders have been seen hunkering down in the subway system in the colder months.
In one viral video being shared online, a person used a blanket to cordon off a section of the train.
Claudia, a homeless woman who sleeps on the street in the Gramercy Park area, told amNewYork that she would rather stay on the sidewalk than enter the shelter system due to the prevalence of mental health issues and drug addiction.
“The thievery is really bad, and it sucks because, like, a lot of shelter facilities are really gross. Like, really gross. I’d rather use public restrooms out here than a lot of those places,” Claudia said.
The mayor’s office states that about 10 people have perished due to the winter weather.
Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park stated that the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will only forcibly remove people when they have “no other option.”
“With respect to involuntary removals, it is DHS’ policy to only do them only in situations when there is no other option,” Park said. “We are focused whenever possible on building relationships of trust, as the mayor noted, we have been able to bring in more than 500 people, almost entirely voluntarily, over the last week. That is really our focus. If somebody is truly in danger, we will take action to save their lives.”
According to the governor’s office, New York State will now fund over 30 comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs, which have received 110,000 visits between October 2024 and September 2025, admitting nearly 14,800 patients.
“Adding new inpatient beds and establishing more comprehensive psychiatric emergency programs will help provide timely care to those New Yorkers who are experiencing a mental health emergency. This capacity plays an integral role in bringing stability to people in crisis and connecting them with other recovery-oriented services in our continuum of care. This funding reflects Governor Hochul’s ongoing commitment to expanding inpatient capacity and strengthening our mental health care system,” New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Sullivan said.
