After a historic stretch of extreme cold conditions in New York City during which 18 New Yorkers lost their lives outside, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams joined a New York City Council joint hearing of the Committees on General Welfare and Public Safety aimed at examining the city’s response to this winter weather and preparedness for any future incidents.
After acknowledging the work of the administration to make sure “the city could still move” in the first few days, the Public Advocate added. “I think there are some questions that need to be answered as we move a little further… It does make us continue to ask questions, are we prepared for the next major snowstorm or cold spell that is going to seemingly just keep coming now? And even more generally, are we ready for climate and weather related emergencies going forward?”
He also addressed some of the recent bad-faith criticism, saying “ I presume and assume the loudest voices like the New York Post that were using these bad faith political attacks will join us in not just in weaponizing these deaths will also now join in speaking out for expansions in supportive and deeply affordable housing and increased services for New Yorkers, instead of putting more effort into exploiting New Yorkers in death than they do in supporting them in life.”
The Public Advocate’s full remarks as delivered are below, and video is available here.
TESTIMONY OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS
TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEES ON
PUBLIC SAFETY AND GENERAL WELFARE
FEBRUARY 10, 2026
Thank you, Madame Speaker. As mentioned, my name is Jumaane D. Williams, Public Advocate for the City of New York. I want to thank the Speaker and Chairs Feliz and Hudson as well as the members of the Committees of City Council who are here today. It’s an important hearing.After a historic stretch of extreme cold conditions in New York City during which 18 New Yorkers lost their lives outside, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams joined a New York City Council joint hearing of the Committees on General Welfare and Public Safety aimed at examining the city’s response to this winter weather and preparedness for any future incidents.
The snowstorm that landed in New York City in late January was the first major snow event in five years. Parts of the city were blanketed in 15 inches of snow and ice and temperatures as cold as we’ve seen over the past month are far lower than what we have come to expect. I do want to credit the Administration, particularly in those first few days of making sure the city could still move so, congratulations on that. I think there are some questions that need to be answered as we move a little further. But temperatures, as was mentioned, are far colder than we expected for a longer time than we expected, so I know it made things harder. It does make us continue to ask questions, are we prepared for the next major snowstorm or cold spell that is going to seemingly just keep coming now? And even more generally, are we ready for climate and weather related emergencies going forward? As we enter into budget season in Albany and soon after here in New York City, what are we doing to backfill the vacancies in vital service rolls left by the previous administration while we look at very real budget gaps, especially from programs like CityFHEPS, which by design keeps people in their homes– when we know the most basic prevention from deaths during an extreme cold emergency is shelter.
The deaths of New Yorkers on our streets during these frigid weeks are very tragic. As I understand, at least 18 New Yorkers lost their lives between January 23rd and today, of those, of those – we haven’t confirmed, but from the information we received from admin, ten are presumed from hypothermia. No matter their causes of death, it is heartbreaking to know that our neighbors lost their lives out in the cold, believing something could have been done to prevent it. There needs to be a full accounting for what led to these losses. We also must look expectantly to continuingly expanding efforts from the new administration to provide government support that helps ensure such future pain is prevented.
Unfortunately, some are using the deaths of our fellow New Yorkers for bad-faith political and policy attacks. I think there’s room for discussion about what to do with encampments, but I do know that tearing down encampments and taking away people's personal possessions will not help them not die in the cold, shelter would. Today the City Council will look at what steps the city has taken, and where those programs can and should be expanded. I presume and assume the loudest voices like the New York Post that were using these bad faith political attacks will join us in not just in weaponizing these deaths will also now join in speaking out for expansions in supportive and deeply affordable housing and increased services for New Yorkers, instead of putting more effort into exploiting New Yorkers in death than they do in supporting them in life.
I would also just, with DSS and HRA, I know that there was a combination of the agencies a few years back and I’d be interested to hear in the responses if that has led to any people waiting to receive their housing, or receiving their vouchers, which may lead them to be homeless more than they might have if these two agencies weren’t combined. I know there were some lawsuits around the combination of these agencies, and I just want to make sure that they’re working as optimally as possible ,because from what I hear and from the lawsuits, it may not be, and I’m wondering if that contributed to some of the homelessness. But thank you so much, I appreciate you having this hearing. I think the city deserves to hear what was done and what wasn’t done and how to prevent it from happening in the future. Thank You.
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