The Hub sees thousands of people everyday, either passing through on their commute or visiting one of the hundreds of local retail businesses or street vendors. It also stands out as one of the most visible representations of the South Bronx’s opioid crisis.
Since 2010, the Bronx has experienced the highest number of fatal overdoses among the five boroughs with 1,760 deaths between 2020 and 2021 alone. Unintentional overdose deaths in Mott Haven and Hunts Point are more than twice New York City’s average.
To address the issue, Bronx Community Board 1 held a special meeting on Sept. 17 to explore harm reduction solutions. OnPoint NYC, a harm reduction service provider with operations in East Harlem and Washington Heights, gave a presentation of their work as an overdose prevention clinic where users can safely inject or smoke on the premises, under the supervision of staff trained to respond to the earliest signs of an overdose. The organization also provides participants with free physical and mental health services, case management, drug testing, food, showers, and laundry.
In 2022, OnPoint NYC says they prevented 636 overdose deaths and served nearly 3,000 participants.
“Our first question is how can we help? What can we do for you? [We] make them feel comfortable, like they’re a human again. This is why we have been so successful in the work that we do,” said Terrell Jones, Outreach and Advocacy Program Manager with OnPoint.
But some residents who attended the September meeting expressed skepticism about the proposed overdose prevention center, saying the South Bronx is saturated with substance abuse clinics that contribute to crime increases in the neighborhood, despite studies indicating that this is untrue.
“What about those needles in [St. Mary’s] Park?” a resident heckled at the Bronx Community 1 Full Board meeting on September 26, when committee members mentioned existing facilities.
Board 1 will continue to meet with harm reduction organizations as they deliberate on services that might benefit the community. Once they conclude discussions, committee Chairs will write letters of support to elected officials for funding from a $286 million opioid settlement fund allocated to the city.
Additionally, Board 1 says it will meet in the coming weeks with Longwood-based St. Ann’s Corner of Harm Reduction, an organization that operates a syringe exchange program in St. Mary’s Park, to continue discussions.
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