Times Square isn't just bright lights and big business. In many ways, it's a microcosm of and a symbol for New York as a whole. There are people all around the city struggling with homelessness, mental health needs,and substance abuse issues — crises that have worsened throughout the pandemic and that have disproportionately impacted communities of color. Many of those vulnerable people have found refuge in Times Square.

The Times Square Alliance's Neighbors’ Needs Program utilizes a neighborhood-based outreach approach that is founded on consistent interaction with people on the street: earning their trust and working to ensure city agencies are accountable for getting our neighbors connected with the services and treatment they need to achieve a more stable life. Several partners make this work possible: Breaking Ground, Fountain House, the Midtown Community Justice Center, our dedicated New York State Office of Mental Health Services and Support Team (S.O.S.), as well as our in-house full-time outreach staff. The Alliance advocates for policy improvements on the city and state levels; manages a database documenting interactions with homeless clients, holds city agencies and providers accountable for reductions in street homelessness, and hosts the Fountain House Recharge Station on its plazas: a community kiosk which offers water, coffee, and access to critical services.

Over the last two years, the Neighbors’ Needs Program has supported over 42 family reunifications, 29 hospitalizations, and has placed 210 individuals into supportive settings.