Andrew Cuomo, in his bid for New York City mayor, committed to relocating individuals with serious mental illnesses from Rikers Island to supportive housing within the first month of taking office. At a forum in Brooklyn, he criticized the conditions at Rikers as unacceptable and vowed to help connect the unhoused population with services by reinstating a policy for nightly removals from subway systems. His proposal targets non-violent detainees with major mental health issues, aiming to alleviate both mental health crises and financial burdens on taxpayers, though logistical details remain unclear.
As Mayor, I will begin having the significantly mentally ill removed from Rikers within 30 days... This will generate tremendous savings, as supportive housing beds, on average, cost approximately $24,000 per year.
Cuomo described Rikers Island as an absurd disgrace and abuse of taxpayers, pledging to move non-violent detainees with significant mental health needs into community-based group homes.
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