Homeless Encampment Takes Hold in Columbus Park
Residents have set up tents and shelters under the raised pavilion near City Hall as 311 complaints about the park rise sharply.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Civic Engagement
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A homeless encampment with about a half-dozen tents and makeshift shelters has taken hold under the raised stone pavilion in Columbus Park, steps from City Hall in Manhattan. Residents have set up a couch, tables, an electrical charging station, and clothing draped over railings, while the smell of human waste and garbage spills across the park.
Why it matters
311 complaints about Columbus Park rose to 49 between January and September 2026, compared with 12 across all of 2025, reflecting growing frustration among New Yorkers over encampments in public spaces. The situation is unfolding under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who barred the NYPD from clearing encampments until Department of Homeless Services outreach is completed.
Complaints filed through the city's 311 system about Columbus Park reached 49 in the first nine months of 2026, four times the 12 recorded across all of 2025. How many residents the encampment houses and how long it will remain have not been reported.
The players
Zohran Mamdani
Zohran Mamdani is the mayor of New York City who took office in 2026 and barred the NYPD from clearing homeless encampments until Department of Homeless Services outreach is complete.
Department of Homeless Services
The Department of Homeless Services is the New York City agency responsible for outreach to people living in encampments before any clearing can occur.
NYPD
The New York Police Department is the city's police force, whose authority to clear encampments is currently restricted by the mayor.
The details
The encampment includes about a half-dozen tents and music plays from some of the shelters, with trash spilling down from the pavilion. A settlement along 11th Avenue stretched some 12 blocks over the summer, with drug use and prostitution reported in the area.
Timeline
January to September 2026: 49 311 complaints about Columbus Park are filed.
Summer 2026: A settlement stretches 12 blocks along 11th Avenue.
2026: Zohran Mamdani takes office as mayor and bars NYPD clearing of encampments until outreach is completed.
Political Context
The encampment tests Mayor Mamdani's policy requiring Department of Homeless Services outreach before NYPD clearing, a rule that critics may argue delays action on public-space complaints. Supporters of the approach would likely point to outreach as the more humane route, but the 311 complaint increase suggests residents want faster results.
Residents and visitors using Columbus Park near City Hall may encounter trash, odors, and tent structures during daytime use. The restriction on NYPD clearing means the timeline for any change depends on when outreach workers complete their rounds.
The takeaway
Public-space concerns can be raised directly through the city's 311 system, which is how the rise in Columbus Park complaints was recorded. Staying engaged with local outreach and policy updates helps shape how these situations are resolved.
Further reading
For more on how New Yorkers can weigh in on public-space policy, explore Civic Engagement coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by New York Post.
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