Nearly half of all deaths among New York City's homeless population in the most recent fiscal year were connected to drug use or alcohol abuse, according to a new city report.
A homeless man sits in the cold in Manhattan on Dec. 27. Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesOf the 634 people experiencing homelessness who died between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, 285 lost their lives to drug addiction, overdoses, or alcoholism. The figures come from the annual mortality report jointly issued by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Social Services/Homeless Services.
Drug-related causes alone accounted for 251 deaths, or 40 percent of the total - still the leading cause of death among this population. Alcohol misuse or dependence contributed another 34 deaths (5 percent). Together, substance-related deaths made up roughly 45 percent of the total, the NY Post reports.
The report covers deaths that occurred in temporary shelters, on the streets, in the subway system, in abandoned buildings, and in other locations. Fifty-two percent of those who died were classified as unsheltered; 48 percent were living in a homeless facility at the time of death. Most (58 percent) died in a hospital. Among unsheltered individuals, 22 percent died outdoors.
Other leading causes of death included heart disease (78 deaths, 12 percent), accidents excluding drug overdoses (60 deaths, 9 percent), and cancer (23 deaths, 4 percent). Additional figures included 18 suicides, 15 deaths from hypothermia or cold exposure, 15 subway-related accidents, 14 motor-vehicle accidents, and 11 homicides. A small number of deaths involved toxic substances, heat exposure, or falls. In ten cases, the manner of death could not be determined.
The overall number of deaths declined nearly 18 percent from the previous year, when 770 people experiencing homelessness died. Drug-related deaths specifically fell 28 percent, from 348 in fiscal year 2024 to 251 in fiscal year 2025. Despite the drop, substance use remained the dominant cause of mortality, consistent with both citywide and national patterns.
City officials noted that the true toll is likely higher. Thousands of migrants housed in temporary facilities operated by other agencies during the border crisis were not fully included in the data-matching process, meaning some deaths may have gone uncounted as homeless fatalities.
The report is the 20th in the annual series required by law. Authors said the data help identify pressing health risks for a highly vulnerable population that faces elevated rates of poorly controlled physical and mental health conditions, compounded by poverty, housing instability, and other social stressors.
As of early August 2026, the city's shelter system housed roughly 83,200 people - down from a peak above 100,000 during the height of the migrant influx. The city has extended a $1.86 billion contract to continue using commercial hotels as emergency shelter for the next three years.
A man rests against a wall appearing to be under the influence of drugs on a street in the South Bronx on June 7 in New York City. Spencer Platt / Getty Images file Tyler Durden Wed, 08/12/2026 - 19:40Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times,
The White House has allowed Executive Branch employees to use TikTok on their government devices.
The Office of Management and Budget on Aug. 10 issued a memorandum to heads of executive departments and agencies, stating that “TikTok may be used on government devices.”
The Epoch Times has reached out to TikTok for comment.
This comes after the Department of Justice issued a memorandum on July 17 that said federal employees can again use TikTok on their government devices.
The app was banned in 2022 over national security concerns surrounding TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
The U.S. version of the app is operated by the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture, whose majority ownership consists of American investors.
It has changed the algorithm and cybersecurity measures that were created by the firm.
The joint venture’s managing investors are Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake, owning a total of 45 percent of its shares.
“Employees of Executive Branch agencies may download TikTok onto their official devices, subject to the agency’s discretion and consistent with all applicable workplace policies,” the DOJ said in its memorandum.
According to the DOJ, the TikTok U.S. Data Security Joint Venture uses third-party cybersecurity experts to monitor and certify privacy while detecting any vulnerabilities.
“These safeguards would appear to make TikTok USDS just as data-secure as any other social networking service, if not more so,” the DOJ said.
“We conclude that, as a matter of statutory interpretation, the version of TikTok currently available for download in the United States [no longer falls] within that prohibited category of applications.”
The DOJ said federal agencies can independently decide whether to ban TikTok from government devices.
The memo noted that the federal government-TikTok relationship has been strained since at least 2020.
In 2022, Congress passed the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, instructing the Office of Management and Budget to provide guidelines for agencies to delete TikTok or any other app developed by ByteDance from government devices.
In 2024, Congress passed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, making it illegal for any entity to distribute, maintain, or update any foreign-adversary-controlled application.
During his first day in office, President Donald Trump postponed the implementation of the ban. He has since again delayed it.
Following the DOJ memo, the Treasury, Transportation, and Health and Human Services Departments set up TikTok accounts. Last year, the White House created a TikTok account.
TikTok is banned on congressional devices in the House and Senate.
It’s also prohibited on state government devices in states such as Texas and Virginia.
Tyler Durden Wed, 08/12/2026 - 19:15