Mayor Zohran Mamdani did not attend a funeral service on Monday for nine homeless New Yorkers who died of exposure during last winter's severe cold snap. The service, held at St. Thomas Church Fifth Avenue, honored unclaimed bodies of individuals who perished during the brutal weather, which served as an early test for the mayor's administration.
Mamdani had previously faced scrutiny for his response to the crisis affecting the city's homeless population during the extreme cold. Reverend Mark Schultz presided over the All Souls Day Mass, stating, “Now we know little of these nine neighbors, but we do know this – they are beloved.”
The service was organized by a group of individuals, including nonprofit founder Rhonda Roland Shearer, who aimed to provide a dignified farewell for the deceased. The remains were saved from a mass burial on Hart Island, the city's potter's field.
During the cold snap, Mamdani had urged New Yorkers to "come inside" but maintained a policy of using involuntary removals of homeless individuals from the cold only as a "last resort." Critics at the time, including Nicole Gellas Gelinas of the Manhattan Institute, expressed concern that the mayor's approach would lead to further deaths.
The administration also faced criticism for the rollout of mobile warming centers, which were reportedly difficult to locate and not always positioned as advertised. The mayor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding his absence from the funeral.