Homelessness in NYC
By The Three Churros (Amelia, Arthur, and Farhan)
A man shakes his cup, the coins clink together as he begs passersby for spare change. A woman boards a bus as she tries to escape the cold night after a long day of work. A child tries not to think about the sheIter he will have to go back to during his walk to school. All these people are homeless with little possessions and few friends who, as their name suggests, have no place they may call home.
Statistics on Homelessness
According to the Bowery Mission Around 70,000 people in New York City sleep on the streets or in shelters, while tens of thousands more live in tenements or “double-up” with other families. Even though not all people classified homeless are literally without a home, they do have to move around a lot. Many of these families do not stay in homes for very long. Some may stay at a home with someone for a few months, and temporarily stay at a homeless shelter. Because of their endless struggles to make a decent amount of money with a stable income, they have to go through an endless cycle.
ln New York City, 1 in 10 students ages 6-18 are homeless, according to NY1. That is 114,000 students out of 1,140,000 students. “Over the past decade, the number of New York City students who are homeless has increased by 70%.”
New York City has the highest homeless population in the United States. As the affordable housing crisis continues, the number will probably go up from there. Although many of the people are adults, there is a significant amount of homeless children in the city. Life for these kids is extraordinarily difficult and full of violence. Many of them live in shelters while some of the Iuckier families live in shared apartments which are usually only one or two bedrooms with a small bathroom and kitchen. These homes are never permanent and families are always under the threat of violence with their neighbors, gang members, police and even domestic violence.
There are many causes of homelessness and how a person becomes homeless is important to know in order to figure out what problems people might have, and what kind of help they need the most. According to the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston the biggest cause of homelessness in America is job loss with 35% of the homeless population suffering because of losing their job. The second largest at 15% of the population is bills being higher than earnings. 13% have been evicted by a family member. Both incarceration (being sent to prison) and abuse at home cause 11% each. With 10% each sickness, disabilities, and mental illness and change in family status are also minor causes. The smallest percentage at 9% is drug/alcohol abuse, a surprising last place.
Mental Effects of Homelessness
Being homeless by itself is a struggle, but growing up in a homeless environment as a kid can “disturb a child’s brain development and undermine his social and emotional growth” says The Bowery Mission, a homelessness non profit. Social skills are a crucial thing to learn when growing up. People don’t realize it, but social skills help you talk and function in a populated area. Homeless observed behavior can be alcohol abuse, drug abuse, physical abuse, etc.
Living in poverty can also increase a person’s probability of developing mental disorders which could include schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and substance addiction according to. Although schizophrenia is a mental condition whose origin is largely unknown, many professionals believe it is a genetic problem, but it can also be caused by a traumatic period or event in a person’s life. A lot of people in poverty experience/see usage of alcohol and drugs and are more likely to experience different kinds of abuse - whether it is police violence or domestic abuse. This can lead to the development of behaviors or addictions to deal with their current situation.
How Has NYC Responded to the Homelessness Problem? Does their Solution Work?
New York City has tried to address the hommelessness issue in their city. Some of their solutions may be good, some others may be bad. Whatever you think about what they’ve done to address the problem, it’s sparked some controversy over the past few months.
On December 3rd, 2019, Newark sued New York City over their homeless relocation program. “The lawsuit also lists New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks as defendants,” says CNN’s article about NYC’s homelessness controversy by Taylor Romine. “It claims that the Special One-Time Assistance Program, also known as SOTA, had caseworkers pressure eligible people in shelters to move outside of New York City and didn't effectively check on the conditions of the apartments in which they were placed.” These apartments were in terrible condition. They didn’t have any hot water, but they did have mold in the corners of their walls.
However, many other areas in the tri-state area that are a part of SOTA have residents complaining about the horrible living conditions in these houses. “If successful, the lawsuit could spark a domino effect of legal action from other communities, including others in New Jersey, upstate New York and as far away as North Carolina that have complained about the SOTA vouchers,” according to the New York Times.
New York City is not doing their job to ensure that the homeless in their city are getting the homes that they need, but instead they are giving them living conditions comparable to the time they spend outside, and worse than the time they spent in a shelter.
How Do New Yorkers Perceive Homelessness?
Many New Yorkers are constantly discriminating against Homeless people whether through actions or through words. Most of the time people ignore the homeless, there are even times when they get harassed.
For example, a YouTube channel called MoeAndEthan tested New Yorkers. The test was where a teen and adult were side by side and begged for money- the way some homeless sit down in front of a building waving a cup. The teen got a lot of money, whereas the adult was called out by a police officer. “Get a job,” she said. However, that same police officer gave the kid money. This may mean the adults that are homeless are at a disadvantage because of their age.
Adults struggle more because people may be under the suspicion that they are not actually homeless, too lazy to get a job, or just begging for drugs. This is problematic because many people would perceive the homeless as liars, which would add insult to injury. They would struggle more because nobody is willing to help them.
WNYC released a Podcast about homelessness on the subways and how people view the homeless. We haven't had time to fully review this one but we do recommend it as it is a great example of the discrimination towards the homeless.
A man shakes his cup, the coins clink together as he begs passersby for spare change. A woman boards a bus as she tries to escape the cold night after a long day of work. A child tries not to think about the sheIter he will have to go back to during his walk to school. All these people are homeless with little possessions and few friends who, as their name suggests, have no place they may call home.
Statistics on Homelessness
According to the Bowery Mission Around 70,000 people in New York City sleep on the streets or in shelters, while tens of thousands more live in tenements or “double-up” with other families. Even though not all people classified homeless are literally without a home, they do have to move around a lot. Many of these families do not stay in homes for very long. Some may stay at a home with someone for a few months, and temporarily stay at a homeless shelter. Because of their endless struggles to make a decent amount of money with a stable income, they have to go through an endless cycle.
ln New York City, 1 in 10 students ages 6-18 are homeless, according to NY1. That is 114,000 students out of 1,140,000 students. “Over the past decade, the number of New York City students who are homeless has increased by 70%.”
New York City has the highest homeless population in the United States. As the affordable housing crisis continues, the number will probably go up from there. Although many of the people are adults, there is a significant amount of homeless children in the city. Life for these kids is extraordinarily difficult and full of violence. Many of them live in shelters while some of the Iuckier families live in shared apartments which are usually only one or two bedrooms with a small bathroom and kitchen. These homes are never permanent and families are always under the threat of violence with their neighbors, gang members, police and even domestic violence.
There are many causes of homelessness and how a person becomes homeless is important to know in order to figure out what problems people might have, and what kind of help they need the most. According to the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston the biggest cause of homelessness in America is job loss with 35% of the homeless population suffering because of losing their job. The second largest at 15% of the population is bills being higher than earnings. 13% have been evicted by a family member. Both incarceration (being sent to prison) and abuse at home cause 11% each. With 10% each sickness, disabilities, and mental illness and change in family status are also minor causes. The smallest percentage at 9% is drug/alcohol abuse, a surprising last place.
Mental Effects of Homelessness
Being homeless by itself is a struggle, but growing up in a homeless environment as a kid can “disturb a child’s brain development and undermine his social and emotional growth” says The Bowery Mission, a homelessness non profit. Social skills are a crucial thing to learn when growing up. People don’t realize it, but social skills help you talk and function in a populated area. Homeless observed behavior can be alcohol abuse, drug abuse, physical abuse, etc.
Living in poverty can also increase a person’s probability of developing mental disorders which could include schizophrenia, depression, anxiety and substance addiction according to. Although schizophrenia is a mental condition whose origin is largely unknown, many professionals believe it is a genetic problem, but it can also be caused by a traumatic period or event in a person’s life. A lot of people in poverty experience/see usage of alcohol and drugs and are more likely to experience different kinds of abuse - whether it is police violence or domestic abuse. This can lead to the development of behaviors or addictions to deal with their current situation.
How Has NYC Responded to the Homelessness Problem? Does their Solution Work?
New York City has tried to address the hommelessness issue in their city. Some of their solutions may be good, some others may be bad. Whatever you think about what they’ve done to address the problem, it’s sparked some controversy over the past few months.
On December 3rd, 2019, Newark sued New York City over their homeless relocation program. “The lawsuit also lists New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Department of Social Services Commissioner Steven Banks as defendants,” says CNN’s article about NYC’s homelessness controversy by Taylor Romine. “It claims that the Special One-Time Assistance Program, also known as SOTA, had caseworkers pressure eligible people in shelters to move outside of New York City and didn't effectively check on the conditions of the apartments in which they were placed.” These apartments were in terrible condition. They didn’t have any hot water, but they did have mold in the corners of their walls.
However, many other areas in the tri-state area that are a part of SOTA have residents complaining about the horrible living conditions in these houses. “If successful, the lawsuit could spark a domino effect of legal action from other communities, including others in New Jersey, upstate New York and as far away as North Carolina that have complained about the SOTA vouchers,” according to the New York Times.
New York City is not doing their job to ensure that the homeless in their city are getting the homes that they need, but instead they are giving them living conditions comparable to the time they spend outside, and worse than the time they spent in a shelter.
How Do New Yorkers Perceive Homelessness?
Many New Yorkers are constantly discriminating against Homeless people whether through actions or through words. Most of the time people ignore the homeless, there are even times when they get harassed.
For example, a YouTube channel called MoeAndEthan tested New Yorkers. The test was where a teen and adult were side by side and begged for money- the way some homeless sit down in front of a building waving a cup. The teen got a lot of money, whereas the adult was called out by a police officer. “Get a job,” she said. However, that same police officer gave the kid money. This may mean the adults that are homeless are at a disadvantage because of their age.
Adults struggle more because people may be under the suspicion that they are not actually homeless, too lazy to get a job, or just begging for drugs. This is problematic because many people would perceive the homeless as liars, which would add insult to injury. They would struggle more because nobody is willing to help them.
WNYC released a Podcast about homelessness on the subways and how people view the homeless. We haven't had time to fully review this one but we do recommend it as it is a great example of the discrimination towards the homeless.
New Yorkers angry for plans of Homeless Shelter in Queens
During a town hall in Queens that happened during October 2019, there were plans to build a new homeless shelter. It was enough to house 200 adult men.
During a town hall in Queens that happened during October 2019, there were plans to build a new homeless shelter. It was enough to house 200 adult men. Were residents happy about the news? Unfortunately not.
“Hundreds of angry community residents packed the auditorium of Christ The King High School in Middle Village,” according to the Gothamist. “I hope someone burns it down!” Was the final line of an angry rant from one of the neighborhood's residents.
Many hated the idea of the shelter after news of some homeless people being killed in Chinatown just the week before. The news made them worried their neighborhood would become unsafe.
“They’re drug addicts and sex offenders,” said another woman. “Put them in a (unintelligible) away from society. They should be locked away forever.” The anger in the residents shows how heartless people can be when it comes to homelessness.
During a town hall in Queens that happened during October 2019, there were plans to build a new homeless shelter. It was enough to house 200 adult men.
During a town hall in Queens that happened during October 2019, there were plans to build a new homeless shelter. It was enough to house 200 adult men. Were residents happy about the news? Unfortunately not.
“Hundreds of angry community residents packed the auditorium of Christ The King High School in Middle Village,” according to the Gothamist. “I hope someone burns it down!” Was the final line of an angry rant from one of the neighborhood's residents.
Many hated the idea of the shelter after news of some homeless people being killed in Chinatown just the week before. The news made them worried their neighborhood would become unsafe.
“They’re drug addicts and sex offenders,” said another woman. “Put them in a (unintelligible) away from society. They should be locked away forever.” The anger in the residents shows how heartless people can be when it comes to homelessness.
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