New York Governor is Right to Invest in Mental Illness Treatment

On April 28, Governor Kathy Hochul unveiled a $254 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026, which focuses heavily on improving the safety of New York City’s subway system. As part of this effort, the budget includes provisions to enforce laws and beef up police presence. But Governor Hochul’s budget also addresses a related issue: tackling homelessness and treating severe mental illness.

The budget includes $25 million for “welcome centers” that will connect homeless and mentally ill people on the subway with essential services. An additional $16.5 million will be set aside for Assisted Outpatient Treatment, $2 million will go to staffing in the Office of Mental Health, and $160 million will create 100 inpatient psychiatric beds. Additionally, Kendra’s Law is being expanded. Whereas the law previously allowed the involuntary hospitalization of those with a mental illness who posed a threat to themselves or others, the new criteria also include those who are unable to care for themselves due to their mental illness. This is a crucial modification because the previous criteria were often not enough to prevent someone from doing real harm to themselves or others.

Hochul and the New York government should be applauded for putting such a concerted effort behind addressing severe mental illness, not only because it addresses public safety needs, but also because it compassionately addresses the needs of those suffering from an untreated severe mental illness, many of whom make up a significant portion of the homeless population.

The need for these budget priorities was made clear by the barrage of subway assaults in New York City in 2021. The most infamous was the killing of Michelle Go by a schizophrenic man, Martial Simon, who pushed her onto the tracks in front of an oncoming train. Simon, who told reporters he shoved her because he was God, had been in and out of mental institutions for over 20 years.

Maria Coste-Webber, a witness to the killing, told the New York Post at the time that, “There are mental institutions for these people. I understand they are mental [sic], and they need treatments, but they still should be locked up, not let go without any help. Right?”

Unfortunately, that is often not a viable option. The United States suffers from a severe lack of psychiatric beds. The Treatment Advocacy Center counts 12 beds per 100,000 population, which is “far below the recommended numbers of 50 per 100,000.” New York is no exception. According to the New York State Comptroller, psychiatric beds have been dwindling since 2014: “From April 2014 to December 2023, statewide inpatient psychiatric capacity decreased by 10.5 percent…”

Under Governor Hochul’s leadership, New York has been making strides to improve those numbers. Since she took office in August 2021, New York has added 875 psychiatric beds to community-based and state-run psychiatric hospitals.

The need for these additional psychiatric beds could not be more pressing.

City Council Minority Leader Joanna Ariola (R-Queens) has described the subway as the “city’s de facto mental institution and homeless shelter, except without the doctors, beds or security.” After a spate of violent subway incidents leading up to the new year, Governor Hochul explained that, “Many of these horrific incidents have involved people with serious untreated mental illness, the result of a failure to get treatment to people who are living on the streets and are disconnected from our mental health care system.” She continued, “We have a duty to protect the public from random acts of violence, and the only fair and compassionate thing to do is to get our fellow New Yorkers the help they need.”

Since the murder of Michelle Go, Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Hochul have made a great effort to improve the safety of the city’s subways. And their fight continues, since according to the NYPD, while major crime on the subway system has decreased, felony assaults are on the rise.

Some object to associating mental illness with criminal activity, arguing that it is not only stigmatizing but also inaccurate. Mentally ill persons, they argue, are more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators of it. While they make valid points, this is all the more reason to remove the vulnerable from the perilous situations they face on the streets. Further, according to Eric B. Elbogen, professor of psychiatry at Duke University School of Medicine, severe mental illnesses can be associated with risk factors for violent behavior, such as substance use, childhood abuse, or living in an unsafe environment. These risk factors are high in the homeless population.

Governor Hochul is right. The truly compassionate response to protect the public and prevent suffering and dying on our streets is not to leave those in need alone, but to ensure they get the best treatment possible. New York is on the right path toward improving public safety and caring for the most vulnerable.