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By Kamau Austin
The Number Of NYC's Homeless Has Reached Epic Proportions And
The City Government Is Urgently Trying To Get A Handle On the Crisis
The City Government Is Urgently Trying To Get A Handle On the Crisis
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| Picture Courtesy Trendrr |
Homelessness in New York City is reportedly the highest it has been since the Great Depression. According to the Coalition of Homeless in September 2017 there were 62,692 homeless persons in New York City. This they posit represents 15,553 families.
To even dramatize this crisis even more clearly it is important to state that 23,445 of these homeless persons in families are children. Homeless families comprise 2/3rds of the homeless population. Over the course of the fiscal year for the City in 2017 , 129,803 different people were homeless at some point. In short, NYC has a city sized homeless population in it.
New York City's homeless population is 74% higher now than it was ten years ago and single homeless people tend to be more prone to suffer from mental illnesses according to Coalition Of The Homeless. The numbers of homeless people who are unsheltered or living on the streets of New York, in the subways, or abandoned real estate is unknown but most agree is easily in the thousands. Most unsheltered homeless people are believed to be suffering from mental illness or some other serious diseases.
The majority of homeless people are people of color according to the coalition of the homeless. They state that 58% of homeless people are African American, 31% are Latino, 7% are white, less than 1% are Asian, 3% are of unknown ethnic origin.
With such a crisis in homelessness it is no wonder that the New York City Council would try to get a handle on the problem by first documenting the scope of the problem. Below is some of their recent legislative proposals.
Tracking Homeless Populations and Opioid Overdose Training at DHS and HRA
Introduction 1066-A, sponsored by Council Member Rafael Espinal, would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to maintain a record of all unsheltered homeless persons who are receiving services from or have been contacted by outreach staff. The record would be updated in real time and contain, to the extent available: first and last name, date of birth, race or ethnicity, and the location where outreach staff engaged the person, including, bus shelter, drop-in center, hospital, park, safe haven or subway.
“While the homelessness crisis looms over New York City, we must understand the full scope of the problem in order to address it,” said Council Member Rafael Espinal. “I am proud to sponsor Introduction 1066-A, which will require a quarterly count of unsheltered persons so that the city may have an accurate grasp of who is living on our streets and who needs our help. This is a first step in meeting the challenge and I look forward to working with the DHS in implementing this approach.”
Introduction 1443-A, sponsored by Council Member Ritchie Torres, would require training for certain staff working in Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters and Human Resources Administration (HRA) HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) facilities in administering naloxone (Narcan) to individuals who have overdosed on opioids. The bill would require those facilities to have at least one trained staff on duty at all times. The bill would also require DHS and HRA to offer training to certain individuals living in DHS shelter and HASA facilities.
“The city’s opioid epidemic is mercilessly taking the lives of shelter residents and every effort must be made to stop it. This bill will expand training to shelter residents on how to administer Narcan and will provide more training for shelter employees and providers. It has the potential to save hundreds of lives and help fight against overdose incidents,” said Council Member Ritchie Torres.
More Human Treatment For The Homeless
While we think the above legislative proposals is good to help get a handle on homelessness. It would also be good if the city and state's laws were less abusive or insensitive to the homeless population with resorting to incarceration and fines for seeking refuge in public buildings or parks.
Rather than arresting them more focus should be on getting them treatment if they are suffering from mental issues or addiction problems. A good article on the criminalization of the homeless is this article click here
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Posted by community events coordinator, Nzinga Lonstein Austin, is a prolific blogger who writes on the entertainment industry and issues for people with developmental and physical challenges.She is presently in high school looking to have a career in video, film, and media. You can see more of her entertainment writing on Lonstein Movies.
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