New York City Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins announces resignation

NEW YORK -- New York City Social Services Commissioner Gary Jenkins announced his resignation Tuesday night.

This comes amid the city's homeless crisis, which has been exacerbated by the influx of asylum seekers.

"There's no discord. There's no running away. This was something that was already planned," Jenkins said. "I'm just happy that I can take this opportunity after serving 36 years."

Jenkins will step down in March.

Mayor Eric Adams released the following statement:

"Commissioner Jenkins has served New Yorkers for 36 years, providing our most vulnerable neighbors with compassion, dignity, and a path toward stabilizing their lives. Under his leadership, the Department of Social Services invested a historic amount to support unsheltered New Yorkers — bringing and keeping more than 1,100 people living on our subways into shelter as part of our Subway Safety Plan and inviting those with lived experiences to the table to help craft our housing and homelessness plans.

"Commissioner Jenkins also brought his own experience living in a shelter as a child to the job, a unique understanding of the struggles families in shelters face, and a steadfast commitment to treating all of our clients with dignity and care. I'm incredibly grateful to Gary for his decades of service and wish him the very best in his next chapter."