A new state program on Staten Island aims to get homeless people off the local train and ferry and back into stable housing, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Tuesday.
New York’s Safe Options Support (SOS), which has been active throughout the rest of the city since 2023, connects homeless individuals suffering from mental illness and substance abuse with important services and stable housing. SOS works by identifying homeless individuals on the Staten Island Railway, Staten Island Ferry and other major hubs in the borough to connect them with the services they need.
The expansion of the program into Staten Island, first reported on SILive.com, now marks its presence in all five boroughs.
Helping individuals ‘secure permanent housing’
“The Safe Options Support program has been a resounding success since its launch two years ago, providing services to individuals experiencing homelessness — including many who live with mental illness — and helping them to secure permanent housing,” Hochul said. “By expanding this effort to Staten Island, we can help more New Yorkers connect with the support they can rely on to bring lasting stability in their lives.”
Outreach teams will go into the hubs to work with homeless individuals to determine what kinds of services could best help them. Teams work with individuals to strengthen their skills and support network so that they can be successfully housed and their care can be transferred to community-based providers, state officials said.
The program uses a method called Critical Time Intervention that starts off with outreach teams establishing communication with the potential client and then working with them through various settings such as inpatient hospitals in the community and housing, according to the state’s Office of Mental Health (OMH).
Breaking Ground, a NYC nonprofit that helps homeless individuals receive services such as primary medical and mental health care and housing, will oversee the outreach effort on Staten Island.
It is unclear right now if the teams canvassing the borough have a background in mental health therapy or if police officers would accompany them.
amNewYork Metro contacted Breaking Ground for comment and is awaiting a response. But Amie Pospisil, the organization’s chief operating officer, included a statement in the governor’s announcement Tuesday.
“We are dedicated to helping people get off the streets, restore their dignity and find stability in housing,” she said. “The launch of Safe Options Support teams for Staten Island will ensure that more unsheltered New Yorkers get connected to the services and housing they need to transform their lives.”
There are now 16 SOS teams operating in NYC. In total, they have helped 682 individuals find permanent homes, including 134 who are living in OMH-licensed housing, according to the governor’s office.
Other initiatives in NYC subways
SOS’s expansion comes on the heels of several recent government initiatives to battle homelessness and crime in the city’s public transportation systems. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch announced at the State of the NYPD address on Jan. 30 that officers would be directed to address quality-of-life issues in the city’s subway system.
In addition, it has been nearly a month since Hochul’s plan to put uniformed police officers on overnight trains, as well as other safety measures underground, went into effect.
Meanwhile, according to the latest NYPD data, NYC subway crime has dropped significantly since the start of the year.
In the first month of 2025, there were 147 reported crimes on the subway, down from 231 last year—resulting in 36% fewer crimes committed on the rails this year, the data shows.
