New York began this week with hundreds of volunteers on the mammoth task of counting the homeless on the streets. The numbers from this census determine the federal resources allocated to that municipality.
Last year’s census estimated that there are 3,439 homeless people living in the city. The number fell to 2,376 in 2021 as the pandemic prompted authorities to offer a temporary hotel accommodation program to disinfect the subway. With 472 stations and hundreds of miles of track, the New York City subway has become the focal point of the Big Apple’s homelessness crisis.
The problem threatens to reach a turning point with the arrival of thousands of immigrants who will saturate the spaces for the homeless. For months, New York and other Democratic cities have welcomed busloads of migrants from Republican states to pressure the federal government to deal with the border crisis.
The death of Michelle Go, a woman pushed onto the subway rails by a homeless man in January 2022, has reignited concerns about passenger safety. In response, Mayor Eric Adams launched an aggressive plan for what he called a “clearance” of tunnels and train stations. In 2021, the New York subway reached a peak in violent incidents, with eight homicides in 12 months.
In November 2022, Adams announced a controversial plan that would allow homeless people with severe mental disorders to be committed to mental health facilities against their will. The measure has been criticized for lacking a long-term vision for those incarcerated under this rule.
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Source: La Neta Neta
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
