NYC Rise in homeless

[Deleted]

I have not noticed an increase, but it isn't surprising given the unemployment rate and that rents have gone up an average of 10% in Manhattan in the past year.

But also, not noticing a difference doesn't mean much. Like most people, I have a neighborhood where I live and one where I work and a few where I play, but there are a ton of areas that I never (or at best, rarely) venture to. And some of those areas are very likely to be the areas where an increase in the homeless population would be more pronounced than in businessy midtown or the yuppie areas where I live/play.

[wanderlustfoodie]

I haven't noticed an increase either but like v don't really know that I spend much time in areas where the increase would be more readily noticeable.

[kershnic]

There was a huge program that used to fully pay families' rents when they left the family shelter system for the first 1-2 years. That program ended this spring and nothing has replaced it. I would imagine that is the major reason.

[kershnic]

To add on a bit.... affordable housing in NYC is a huge problem. But the program I'm referring to was never a good program and always just pushed the problems into the future. Sure, the homeless numbers look bad now, but the underlying problems are not larger than before or in any way new. (I work with poor families in NYC, btw.)

[Deleted]

Oct 11, 2012 19:23:13 GMT -5 kershnic said:

There was a huge program that used to fully pay families' rents when they left the family shelter system for the first 1-2 years. That program ended this spring and nothing has replaced it. I would imagine that is the major reason.

That's interesting. That very well may explain it.

[Deleted]

Yes, there's a huge increase of homeless in the East Village compared to other years. Just last year, I'd maybe see one or two people daily. I probably saw 15 today.

[claireblue]

I have personally noticed a big increase in people sleeping on the street in the union square area and the financial district. I don't know if these people are truly homeless or are part of the occupy movement, which is my impression. Most are in their 20s/30s and seem to be able-bodied. It worries me that drugs and crime will be on the rise.

[aMrsin09]

May I ask a somewhat odd question?

What is the definition of homeless that is being used?

[dochas]

Good question. If we're talking about people that the economy is hitting hard I don't think you would see a visible change in the streets. The people you see in the streets, sleeping on grates, generally have substance abuse and/or mental health problems. I never found that the economy changed those numbers.