As Temperatures Plunge, Subways Serve as Rolling Shelters
Just after 1 a.m. Thursday, with the outdoor temperature a tick above 10 degrees, Jason Pettigrew settled in for the night in what he said was not his usual resting place.
On the L train.
"It’s freezing, freezing cold," the 34-year-old homeless man told THE CITY while crossing 14th Street on a Brooklyn-bound L, where he nestled against friend Dom Wilson, who wrapped herself in a blanket. "I mean, we could go to drop-in centers or shelters, but they’re already full — and no park tonight."
Why the Subway Becomes a Default Shelter
With the city in the grip of its coldest spell in two years, the subway system becomes a default shelter for homeless New Yorkers reluctant to seek beds elsewhere — even as the Department of Homeless Services says it’s increased round-the-clock outreach efforts during a "Code Blue" weather emergency when temperatures drop below 32 degrees.
A Place to Ride Out the Night
On a southbound C/E line platform at 34th Street-Penn Station, Rose Williams brushed off the repeated efforts of a pair of homeless outreach workers who tried to convince her to go to a drop-in center by saying, "It’s too cold to be out here."
The 57-year-old told THE CITY she prefers to ride the E train all night — "it’s a little warmer," she said — over going to a shelter or a drop-in center.
A Homeless Experience
Jason Pettigrew, left, and Dom Wilson on an L train, Jan. 22, 2025.
Jason Pettigrew, who has been homeless for five years since a series of surgeries turned him into "a raging addict," cited a recent stay at a drop-in center that ended with his methadone bottle and some personal belongings being stolen.
"My brand new hat, scarf and gloves that I paid for after panhandling for a couple of hours — gone," he said. "The shelters are awful, they really are."
A Choice to Make
At Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer, a homeless man, who identified himself as God Lyac, said he feels safer staying on trains during the overnight hours.
"I choose to stay out of shelters until I’m ready to go in," he said. "You definitely feel warmer and safer [in the subway]."
A System That Doesn’t Work for Everyone
Such scenes in the subway are indicative of a city shelter system that "doesn’t work for everyone," according to Dave Giffen, executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless.
"There’s a number of people who tried the shelter system and found that it just didn’t meet their needs," Giffen said.
Statistics and Facts
According to DHS’s most recent Homeless Outreach Population Estimate, the annual "point in time" survey of unsheltered individuals in the city, there were 2,047 people sleeping in the subway on a single night in January 2024, a 4% decrease from the previous year. The next HOPE count will take place on January 28.
Conclusion
The blast of cold weather came as the police presence in the subway was supposed to have surged this week, with Gov. Kathy Hochul pledging to have uniformed officers on each train between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and to add providers for medical and psychiatric care in the transit system.
FAQs
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Q: How many people seek shelter in the subway on freezing nights?
A: There is no precise measure of how many people seek shelter in the subway specifically on freezing nights, but it is natural that more homeless New Yorkers turn to the transit system as an option. -
Q: What is the Department of Homeless Services doing to address the issue?
A: The Department of Homeless Services has increased round-the-clock outreach efforts during a "Code Blue" weather emergency when temperatures drop below 32 degrees. - Q: How many people are sleeping in the subway on a single night?
A: According to DHS’s most recent Homeless Outreach Population Estimate, there were 2,047 people sleeping in the subway on a single night in January 2024.
