First MPox Case Detected In NYC, World Tuberculosis Day, Mobile Food Vending Waitlist Opened, Maternal Family Health Access, Supportive Housing For Fmr Homeless: NYC H+H

First MPox Case Detected In NYC, World Tuberculosis Day, Mobile Food Vending Waitlist Opened, Maternal Family Health Access, Supportive Housing For Fmr Homeless: NYC H+H

Editor’s note: Our most recent article from NYC H+H featured local Bronx twin cousins, along with a joint effort with the Japan Institute for pathogen research. 

• Shortened Treatment Regimen: In early 2025, the Health Department began offering a new shorter treatment regimen for latent TB infection at its TB Chest Centers. ​This regimen reduces the number of required clinic visits and shortens preventive treatment from 3–9 months to just 1 month. ​In 2025, 337 patients started this regimen, with 75 percent completing treatment by mid-February 2026. ​
• Updated Isolation Guidelines: The Health Department’s adoption of new guidelines from the National TB Coalition of America in 2025 has led to shorter hospital stays and quicker returns to work, school, and social activities for individuals with TB disease. ​
• Mobile TB Services: The Health Department continues to work with NYC Health + Hospitals and other partners to expand mobile X-ray services, improving TB screening among transient populations and groups facing barriers to care. ​

NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT NOW ACCEPTING NEW MOBILE FOOD VENDING WAITING LIST APPLICATIONS FOR U.S. VETERANS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

City Expands Equitable Access to Legal Street Food Vending, Opening Applications for 300 U.S. Veterans and People With Disabilities to Join the Waiting List for a Supervisory License

NEW YORK, NY — The NYC Health Department today announced the acceptance of applications to join the mobile food vending waiting list for supervisory licenses for U.S. military veterans and people with disabilities. As the first reopening of a supervisory license waiting list since the program launched in 2023, this opportunity expands access to mobile food vending permits while maintaining strong public health standards.

“Street vendor reform is long overdue in NYC, and this is a step in the right direction. The Mamdani administration is proud to support our disabled and veteran street vendors to help ensure they are given a fair shot when it comes to running their own food trucks and providing for themselves and their families,” said New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Helen Arteaga.

“Street food vendors are essential to New York City’s culture and small business economy,” said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. “Opening the supervisory license waiting list to more U.S. veterans and people with disabilities ensures that these communities have a clear pathway into the legal food vending system while we continue to uphold food safety protections for New Yorkers.”

“Veterans deserve tangible pathways to economic opportunity,” said NYC Department of Veterans’ Services Commissioner Yesenia Mata. “For veterans interested in mobile food vending, this reopening creates a clear route into a regulated industry that can support financial stability and independence, while opening the door for more veterans to pursue entrepreneurship here in New York City.”

“Street vendors are the smallest of small businesses and a defining part of New York City’s economy, neighborhoods, and culture,” said NYC Department of Small Business Services Commissioner Kenny Minaya. “Reopening the license waitlist for the first time since 2023 marks an important step forward, and SBS is excited to help spread the word so eligible military veterans and people with disabilities can take advantage of this opportunity. I want to thank Mayor Mamdani and Commissioner Martin and look forward to building on this progress through SBS’s new Office of Street Vendor Services to ensure vendors have the support they need to succeed in every borough.

“Too often, people with disabilities face barriers to employment and entrepreneurship,” said Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities. “Opening the supervisory license waiting list helps expand fair access to opportunity and supports the right of New Yorkers with disabilities to participate fully in the city’s economy. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners to ensure pathways like mobile food vending are accessible and inclusive.”

“Since 2023, DSNY has been the lead agency enforcing street vending regulations, and we have done so with a focus on cleanliness, pedestrian access, and fairness for all businesses. The recent street vending reform laws mean that more people can participate in these smallest small businesses while maintaining appropriate oversight and safety for our communities, and we look forward to working with advocates and our agency partners to get vending expanded the right way,” said Javier Lojan, Acting Commissioner, NYC Department of Sanitation.

“Veterans and people with disabilities often face unnecessary barriers to obtain legal street vending licenses,” said Council Member Lynn Schulman, Chair of the Health Committee. “Opening the waiting list for 300 additional supervisory licenses for these groups is an important step toward a more equitable system that expands opportunity for communities that have too often been left behind.”

“New York City is finally on a pathway toward a balanced street vending system,” said NYC Council Member Pierina Sanchez. “From the Council’s override of the mayoral veto on my bill, which will expand access to more than 10,000 vending licenses over the coming years—to the NYC Health Department reopening the mobile food vending waiting list for veterans and people with disabilities pursuant to Local Law 18 of 2021, we are beginning to correct decades of exclusion. For far too long, hardworking vendors were forced into the shadows by an outdated system. Expanding access to licenses is an important step toward dignity, order, and opportunity. I look forward to continuing to work with the NYC Health Department to fully implement Local Law 54 of 2026 starting this summer.”

Over 5,800 food vendors have permits to operate in New York City, including about 120 permits issued for veterans and people with disabilities. The supervisory license program was launched in 2023 to implement Local Law 18 of 2021, which changed how mobile food vendors obtain a year-round permit and increased the number of available permits. To apply for these new permits, the vendor must have a supervisory license. The supervisory license is offered only to a person on a waiting list. To join a waiting list, the vendor must have a mobile food vending license, which is a type of license allowing a person to work on any food vending unit with a permit.  

Approximately 1,300 food vendors have supervisory licenses in New York City, which allow them to apply for a permit at any time, including about 100 with supervisory licenses for U.S. veterans and people with disabilities. Beginning on July 1, the NYC Health Department will issue 2,200 supervisory licenses each year for five years under recently enacted local laws. With the opening of applications today, an additional 300 veterans and people with disabilities will be able to join the waiting list for a supervisory license.  

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How to Apply

Applications to join the mobile food vending waiting list for supervisory licenses are now open to U.S. veterans with a service-related disability, individuals with documented disabilities who meet eligibility criteria, and U.S. veterans without a disability.

To apply to join the waiting list for a supervisory license, applicants may visit nyc.gov/health/mobilefood, or call 311 to request an application. To join the waiting list, the applicant must be at least 18 years old and hold a current, valid mobile food vendor license, which is different from a supervisory license. 

There is no waiting list to obtain a mobile food vendor license. To get one, you must submit a license application, pay the required fee (U.S. veterans are exempt from the fee), and complete the Food Protection Course for Mobile Food Vendors. 

MEDIA ADVISORY: DEPUTY MAYOR ARTEAGA TO MAKE MATERNAL- AND FAMILY HEALTH-RELATED ANNOUNCEMENT IN HARLEM TOMORROW

WHAT: New York City Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Helen Arteaga, the NYC Health Department, and the Administration for Children’s Services will announce new citywide initiatives and expanded access to maternal and early childhood health and mental health programs as part of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first 100 days in office.

WHEN: Friday, February 27, at approximately 2:00 PM (Please arrive by 1:45 PM to allow time for security)

WHERE: East Harlem Neighborhood Health Action Center located at 158 E 115th St, New York, NY 10029

WHO: Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Helen Arteaga; NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin; ACS Deputy Commissioner Luisa Linares; Maternal and Family Health Providers and Clients.

This event will be held in-person and livestreamed on the NYC Health Department’s YouTube page. Attendees are encouraged to RSVP in advance by emailing the names of attendees to [email protected]. Names and photo identification are required to enter the building.

NYC HEALTH DEPARTMENT RELEASES UPDATED REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO EXPAND SUPPORTIVE HOUSING FOR FORMERLY INCARCERATED AND HOMELESS NEW YORKERS

$4.8 Million to Expand the Justice-Involved Supportive Housing (JISH) initiative, an Evidence-Driven Permanent Supportive Housing Model for Formerly Incarcerated and Homeless New Yorkers

Updated Request for Proposals Aims to Add up to 190 Homes Supporting People With Behavioral Health Needs Who Have Histories of Cycling Through the Justice and Homelessness Systems

Combined With the Mamdani Administration’s Commitment to Just Home, the City Aims to Increase the Number of JISH Apartments to More Than 350

New York — Today, the NYC Health Department is releasing an updated Request for Proposals (RFP) to fund new supportive housing for people with behavioral health needs who have histories of cycling through the criminal justice and homelessness systems. With $4.8 million in new funding for the Justice-Involved Supportive Housing (JISH) initiative, the department aims to create up to 190 new homes supporting New Yorkers who were previously incarcerated. Combined with the Mamdani administration’s commitment to advance Just Home, the NYC Health Department’s updated RFP puts the city on a path to more than 350 supportive homes for justice-involved New Yorkers in the coming years. New research released by the NYC Health Department underscores the need for this investment and expansion of the JISH program.

“Housing is a human right. Prioritizing housing first is a tremendously effective health and justice intervention,” said New York City Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Michelle Morse. “As we work to end the disproportionate incarceration of people of color in New York City, we recognize stable housing as a necessary starting point. This program has a proven track record of reducing homelessness and preventing the cycle of recidivism. Through this updated Request for Proposals, the NYC Health Department will provide up to 190 homes for New Yorkers with a history of incarceration.”

“Creating more opportunities to connect formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with stable, supportive housing is integral to breaking cycles of trauma preventing long-term recovery,” said Executive Deputy Commissioner of Mental Hygiene Dr. H. Jean Wright. “These new contracts will allow us to better reach more people with holistic services that meet their unique needs – from healthcare and financial counseling to social support fostering community.”

“Housing is the foundation for stability and opportunity. The Justice-Involved Supportive Housing initiative provides affordable, supportive homes for individuals with behavioral health needs as they reenter the community. This approach reduces long-term costs, strengthens public safety, and ensures housing is a platform for lasting stability,” said Dina Levy, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

“We were thrilled when, within his first month in office, Mayor Mamdani announced the resumption of work to make Just Home a reality.  Just Home will provide 58 permanent studio apartments for our medically complex patients after they leave Rikers. Justice Involved Supportive Housing (JISH) funding helps make Just Home possible, and we are excited that DOHMH’s updated JISH RFP will create even more such permanent, supported housing opportunities,” said Senior Vice President for NYC Health + Hospitals/Correctional Health Services Dr. Patsy Yang. “Nearly 30% of our patients report being homeless prior to entering jail or likely to be unhoused on release and each one deserves the chance to return safely and successfully to the community. On behalf of our patients, we thank the Administration, City Council, and the NYC Health Department for sustaining and expanding the JISH initiative.”

Created in 2015, the JISH program is an evidence-driven permanent supportive housing model leading to fewer returns to jail, less shelter use, less emergency room use, and improved health outcomes. The program currently provides 120 homes scattered across New York City to support people with behavioral health needs who have histories of cycling through the criminal justice system. Over the decade since its creation, JISH has made a profound impact on the people it serves. The most recent data show 50% of JISH residents have lived in their homes for six to 10 years, and nearly 90% had no interactions with law enforcement resulting in an arrest during the same time frame.

In light of this success, the NYC Health Department seeks to expand the number of JISH homes, using both a scattered-site and a congregate supportive housing model. The additional option of congregate supportive housing for this population will offer a greater sense of community, on-site assistance to develop independent living skills needed to successfully remain housed, and access to support staff in times of crisis.

Newly published research from the NYC Health Department demonstrates the vital need for improved access to health and social services, economic assistance, and housing — all of which supports more JISH housing. Among the report’s findings are that people who have been incarcerated are more likely to experience serious psychological distress, difficulty functioning, and social isolation. New Yorkers who were ever incarcerated were more than twice as likely to have serious psychological distress (17% vs. 8%) and to report high difficulty functioning due to their mental health in the past month (14% vs. 6%) compared with those who have never been incarcerated. The prevalence of feeling socially isolated in the past month was more than twice as high among those ever incarcerated compared with those never incarcerated (15% vs. 7%).

In January, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his administration’s commitment to advancing Just Home, a first-of-its-kind housing initiative to serve formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with complex medical needs on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi. The fully affordable housing project will create 83 new apartments in an underutilized building on the Bronx hospital grounds, including 58 permanent supportive studio units for individuals who are too medically fragile to live in shelters after leaving jail and 24 affordable studio units for income-qualifying New Yorkers.

According to the NYC Health Department’s new report on the impacts of incarceration among New Yorkers, the United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world, with an incarceration rate three to six times that of Mexico and Canada. The New York City jail system is among the largest in the country, incarcerating over 7,500 people on any given day, over 80% of whom have not been convicted of a crime. Although the impact of incarceration is felt across all communities, those experiencing structural oppression — including Black, Native, Latino, transgender, and gender-expansive residents — are incarcerated at much higher rates, experience harsher treatment and higher rates of violence while incarcerated, and receive inequitable access to resources upon release. People who have been incarcerated also face extremely high rates of unemployment and low average earnings. The structures of oppression that lead to increased incarceration of marginalized groups also impact these groups’ experiences during and after incarceration, affecting the physical, mental, and financial well-being of individuals, as well as their family, friends, and community.

The goals of the JISH program are to provide rapid access to supportive housing units for individuals with recent and frequent contact with the criminal justice system, homeless services systems, and mental health treatment systems who have a mental illness or substance use disorder. The program provides case management services to link tenants to physical health and behavioral health services, as well as other resources to prevent further use of jail, shelter, or other emergency services. Using a congregate supportive housing model, services will be easily accessible and occur in JISH apartment units, at program sites, and in the community. Case management is provided to help residents successfully maintain their housing, link and engage with service providers, and support positive integration into the community in order to decrease homelessness and antisocial behaviors. The program aims to serve single adults with two or more encounters with New York City jails or homeless systems within the past four years and who have a mental illness or substance use disorder. The NYC Health Department plans to identify potential tenants using a combination of appropriate data matching, outreach, and collaboration with health and justice systems and city government partners.

Banner Image:  Celebrating the new Sing for Hope Piano at NYC Health + Hospitals/Carter.