‘Neighborhood navigators’ offer snacks and services to Manhattan’s homeless population

WNYC News

Whether riding the subway or walking along a busy stretch of sidewalk, New Yorkers are likely to cross paths with people who have nowhere to sleep. Some of those people might also need mental health or substance abuse treatment.

Those with unmet needs sometimes get stuck in a cycle of homelessness, hospitalization and jail. The Manhattan district attorney's office is now funding a new program, called Neighborhood Navigators, to connect homeless people with services before they interact with the criminal justice system.

The program is partly aimed at preventing crimes, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg said. But he said only a small share of encounters ever escalate to that level. Neighborhood Navigators also intends to help people who aren't violent — and whom many New Yorkers may cross the street to avoid.

“What the navigators do is they cross the street to that conduct,” Bragg said in a recent interview. “They engage with people in distress and they build relationships, and ultimately connect them to services.”

Read the full story at Gothamist.com.