Mayor Zohran Mamdani has done a significant about-face on the contentious Just Home supportive housing project, announcing that his administration will no longer oppose the 83 new apartments set to be built on the campus of Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.
In a press conference, Mamdani cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy as he announced that the project was not just about affordable housing, but about advancing justice for those who need it most – particularly New Yorkers released from Rikers Island with complex medical conditions such as cancer or heart failure. The Just Home project includes 58 units of supportive housing and two dozen low-income apartments.
The nonprofit Fortune Society will oversee the site, which has sparked controversy among some local residents who oppose housing individuals with criminal records at the Jacobi Medical Center location.
However, supporters argue that the approach being taken by the Just Home project has shown success in reducing hospitalizations and helping tenants avoid reincarceration. This model is similar to Castle Gardens, a Fortune Society-run development in West Harlem that combines supportive housing with on-site services and civic uses.
Mamdani's reversal marks a stark contrast from his predecessor Mayor Eric Adams' stance on the project, which shifted just ahead of the 2025 election. Despite initial opposition from Adams, Mamdani remains committed to his campaign platform of decarceration, tenant protection, and expanding non-police responses to public health and homelessness.
The decision comes as a relief to supporters of the project, who framed the recent Council vote as a necessary step towards increasing housing access for vulnerable residents.
In a press conference, Mamdani cited Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy as he announced that the project was not just about affordable housing, but about advancing justice for those who need it most – particularly New Yorkers released from Rikers Island with complex medical conditions such as cancer or heart failure. The Just Home project includes 58 units of supportive housing and two dozen low-income apartments.
The nonprofit Fortune Society will oversee the site, which has sparked controversy among some local residents who oppose housing individuals with criminal records at the Jacobi Medical Center location.
However, supporters argue that the approach being taken by the Just Home project has shown success in reducing hospitalizations and helping tenants avoid reincarceration. This model is similar to Castle Gardens, a Fortune Society-run development in West Harlem that combines supportive housing with on-site services and civic uses.
Mamdani's reversal marks a stark contrast from his predecessor Mayor Eric Adams' stance on the project, which shifted just ahead of the 2025 election. Despite initial opposition from Adams, Mamdani remains committed to his campaign platform of decarceration, tenant protection, and expanding non-police responses to public health and homelessness.
The decision comes as a relief to supporters of the project, who framed the recent Council vote as a necessary step towards increasing housing access for vulnerable residents.