Homelessness In New York City Essay

"On a recent January night, more than 45,000 people slept in a city Department of Homeless Services shelter—a population large enough to rank among the 20 largest cities in the state (Turetsky 2). Homelessness is an ongoing problem in New York City; it challenges physical, mental, and emotional health, and the number will continue to rise without solutions. Causes of homelessness in NYC include the lack of affordable housing, insufficient public assistance, and low wages in jobs.

Housing costs continue to rise yearly, creating an absence of affordable housing. The lack of affordable housing is caused by a combination of factors, including the city's rising cost of living, income inequality, and the available low-income housing options. In the

The reason most families and individuals continue to be homeless is because of the lack of public assistance. Adding on, according to reporter Greg. B Smith "Since late spring, the number of homeless families seeking shelter in New York City has risen steadily, putting increasing pressure on the limited supply of beds available to keep them from winding up in the streets" (2). The city does put effort into trying to get the homeless off the street and into a shelter, but they are not doing enough. The New York City Council stated, "Homelessness is an ongoing national crisis that is felt acutely in New York City. Currently, approximately 80,000 people are experiencing homelessness in the city, including over 20,000 children" (11). The number of people experiencing homelessness continues to rise, yet many communities lack the resources to provide the necessary programs that can aid these individuals in transitioning out of homelessness. Another issue is that the city keeps giving false hope to the community by creating sufficient shelters but then fails to follow through. For example, the article City Limits reveals, "Five years after Adams' predecessor, Bill de Blasio, promised dozens of new shelters in every community district, the initiative remains far behind what was promised — and the shelters remain inequitably distributed, disproportionately concentrated in the city's lowest-income communities" (Smith…3). This can not only create issues with stopping the amount of homeless but also create trust issues with the city as well. In order to solve this issue, more resources need to be dedicated to supporting people experiencing homelessness by increasing public assistance. Coalition for the Homeless furthers this by addressing how "Supportive housing is by far the most successful way to end homelessness for individuals and families living with disabilities and other challenges" (How