Eric Adams Under Pressure — Yet Voters Stand Firm on One Key Issue
Mayor Eric Adams is in a battle for his political future: While contending with strong demands for his resignation or removal, he also faces a challenging reelection campaign ahead.
However, if he loses his position, it won’t be due to issues related to mental health.
Adams’ effort to change state laws concerning involuntary treatment for severely mentally ill individuals has introduced necessary regulation to one of the city’s most pressing challenges.
Recent polls indicate that the public is supportive of his initiatives.
Governor Kathy Hochul, recognizing the political advantage of siding with the mayor on this issue, has suggested revisions to the state’s involuntary commitment standards.
Nonetheless, state lawmakers are hesitant.
Being the mayor of New York is akin to holding one of the most prominent political roles in the nation, overseeing a budget exceeding $100 billion and managing a workforce comprising hundreds of thousands of individuals.
Yet, mayors are often constrained by the decisions of obscure state senators and assembly members — many influenced by upstate interests that remain indifferent to urgent issues facing city dwellers, such as subway chaos linked to mental illness.
Current Updates on Mayor Eric Adams
Hochul has taken steps to support mental health initiatives, contributing additional psychiatric beds and resources for the treatment of severely mentally ill individuals.
However, she has not shown strength in persuading lawmakers to shift their focus away from funding voluntary community mental health programs, which they believe can resolve all problems.
The Legislature lacks solutions for those who are unwilling to seek assistance, even when it is offered.
An estimated 900 severely mentally ill individuals are currently residing on the streets of NYC. Approximately 7,000 others are in shelters or temporary housing, while 1,400 are held in city jails.
Adams’ approach, which centers on involuntary treatment, is the most appropriate response to the existing crisis.
Critics have tried to portray his attitude towards mental health as merely a reflexive response from a former police officer addressing visible poverty. They advocate instead for greater housing solutions as the long-term answer.
According to the Mayor’s Management Report, the city government added 3,000 supportive housing units for the homeless last year, further bolstering New York’s extensive affordable housing initiatives.
The mayor’s mental health strategy focuses on the intermediate term, which is a suitable timeframe for policymaking.
This initiative is part of a reform package called the Supportive Interventions Act, which aims to enhance the regulations regarding hospitalization for severely mentally ill individuals by mandating a more thorough evaluation before their discharge and their eligibility for Kendra’s Law, New York’s effective outpatient commitment program.
Albany’s reaction to the bill has been lukewarm.
Hochul aims to amend state laws to facilitate the hospitalization of severely mentally ill individuals who are unable to meet basic living needs, even if they do not pose an immediate danger.
A recent poll by the Manhattan Institute indicated that 61% of likely New York City voters support this concept.
However, some legislators raised concerns during a budget hearing this month, questioning whether hospitals could manage a potential influx of new commitments.
The Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Marie Sullivan assured that the current system has adequate capacity to handle additional cases without resorting to a mass round-up of patients.
Moreover, Hochul has already made investments in hospitals, adding a few hundred inpatient beds for the mentally ill over the past few years.
Adams’ efforts are rightly concentrated on aligning legal reforms with this prior investment.
Regardless of what happens in Albany, the mayor can rely on substantial support for his mental health policies at the city level.
Several local Democrats, including Reps. Dan Goldman and Ritchie Torres, have recently expressed strong backing for the expansion of involuntary care. Conservatives like GOP Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and Democratic City Councilmember Robert Holden also align with the mayor’s overall approach.
However, only the state Legislature holds the power to implement the necessary legal changes.
Adams has significantly raised awareness regarding the severely mentally ill. Following the tragic killing of Michelle Go just weeks after he assumed office, the mayor utilized his office’s extensive media outreach to draw attention to the ongoing government neglect of these vulnerable cases.
New Yorkers are not known for their patience. Yet, they have reached a critical limit regarding the reluctance of mental health professionals to intervene with the severely mentally ill until a crisis occurs.
Policymakers committed to reform must continually push for change. Adams will pursue this agenda as long as he remains in office — but if he departs, others must rise to meet the electorate’s expectations.
The responsibility cannot rest solely on Gov. Hochul. The opportunity for meaningful reform is closing.
Stephen Eide is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor for City Journal, and a Public Scholar for the 2024–25 term at The City College of New York’s Moynihan Center.
