Why the Plan is Controversial

There are a few main criticisms of Mayor Adams’ plan. First, critics describe the policy as a human rights violation that enables law enforcement to arrest and forcibly detain individuals with mental illness, even if they aren’t an active danger to those around them.

Rising crime and safety concerns are major factors behind Mayor Adams’ decision.

Adams, for his part, responded to his critics by framing the new policy as the most compassionate and humane way of helping people who have chronic mental illness conditions and challenges with substance abuse.

“As a city, we have a moral obligation to support our fellow New Yorkers and stop the decades-long practice of turning a blind eye towards those suffering from severe mental illness, especially those who pose a risk of harm to themselves,” Mayor Adams said at a press conference.

Critics also argue that Adams is putting too much money and emphasis on enforcement instead of addressing the root causes of chronic homelessness among people with mental illness. Adams once again disputed this notion.

“If you cannot take care of your basic needs and you are a danger to yourself- that is the small group that we are talking about,” Adams said in a radio interview. “You will be taken to the hospital where a mental health professional would make the determination on what the next steps.”

There’s also the issue of transparency. Adams said that his administration may not be able to report how involuntarily hospitalized patients are treated due to HIPAA laws and other patient privacy laws. However, activists say that the only way the government can execute the program ethically is through complete transparency.

“We want to know the length of stay, I want to know whether they’re admitted, whether they’re not admitted, whether they’re medicated, not medicated, whether they’re connected with services, what services, for how long, whether the city is finding housing for them,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said in an interview with a local news station.

Are There Enough Hospital Beds?

In the same interview, Lieberman showed concern regarding the new policy’s impact on New York’s hospital system. She argued that there aren’t enough hospital beds to meet the demand.

“It’s like potentially blowing up the whole barn because the mayor is proposing, by his own words, to sweep thousands of people off the streets into the already overburdened hospital system,” Lieberman said. “That means that people who want to go to the hospital for care won’t have any place to go.”

Right now, it’s unclear what the Adams Administration plans to do regarding a shortage of psychiatric hospital beds. DailyMail reported that Adams has an agreement with an undisclosed number of private hospitals to provide psychiatric beds and that Kenneth Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association, supports the mayor’s plan. However, Raske admitted that the new policy would be hard to implement and that there would need to be an expansion of psychiatric beds in the city.

Is Mayor Adams’ New Policy a Blast From the Past?

Critics argue that Mayor Adams’ new plan is reminiscent of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s homeless policies that heavily emphasized enforcement over treating the root causes. Giuliani emphasized involuntary psychiatric commitment for the mentally ill during his tenure, according to The New York Times. However, he took enforcement further than that by threatening arrest for any homeless individuals who refused housing or shelter.

Critics of Giuliani’s homeless policies argue that his initiatives didn’t address the root causes of homelessness or provide long-term solutions. Meanwhile, proponents of his policies argue that he made the city much safer by removing dangerous individuals from the streets.

New York City’s crime rate declined considerably during Giuliani’s tenure from 1994 to 2001. Crime incidents in New York fell 41% from 1994 to 2002, the year after Giuliani left office. However, crime nationally fell 36% during that time, so there may not be enough evidence to prove whether or not his “tough on crime” policies made the city safer.

Mayor Adams’ policy has a legal hurdle to jump before officials can implement it. About a week after the announcement of his new policy, homeless advocates filed a lawsuit arguing that the involuntarily committing mentally ill New Yorkers who don’t pose a risk to others violates their constitutional rights.

The post New York Plans to Involuntarily Hospitalize Mentally Ill People Despite Challenges appeared first on CitySignal.

Mayor Eric Adams made addressing homelessness and affordable housing a central part of his campaign and early mayoral tenure. For Adams, building more supportive and affordable housing units was and continues to be a top priority. In an interview with radio host Brian Lehrer, Adams spoke about why it is so important to provide housing for New Yorkers living on the street.

“When I looked at some of those encampment sites — some of them I visited at one, two, three in the morning — looked inside, talked to people who are homeless, I saw people living in human waste. Drug paraphernalia, no showers, no clean clothing, living like that. That is not dignified, it is not acceptable”, Adams said.

Despite efforts to construct and build comfortable, affordable housing units, many occupants experience poor living conditions once they move in. This year, RentHop found that as rental prices decrease, heating violations increase, meaning those in lower-priced units are more likely to experience extreme cold.

Building affordable and supportive housing is the main solution to ending chronic street homelessness, but new city data indicates 2,585 vacant supportive housing units in NYC. Reportedly, the number of vacant supportive apartments has doubled since July, when about 1,100 supportive housing units sat vacantly.

Filling supportive housing units is just as big a challenge as building them in the first place. In January 2022, 3,400 people lived on the streets and subway stations of NYC. If all of the vacant supportive units were filled, 75% of those individuals would be in housing.

So why are there so many vacant supportive housing units in The Big Apple? Bureaucracy and red tape may be the most significant factor.

Getting access to affordable housing is difficult

The application process to acquire an affordable housing unit can be difficult. There is extensive paperwork, a lengthy approval process, interviews, multiple rounds of mental health evaluations, and a waitlist. Even after families and individuals receive approval for supportive housing, most do not actually receive housing. According to the New York Times, between July 2021 and 2022, 7,400 individuals or families were approved for supportive housing, but only 16% of them received an apartment. Some of the 16% didn’t even move in.

The most startling statistic? Only 16 people in that time frame moved into supportive housing from the street and subway stations. The application process for housing isn’t accessible for the most vulnerable New Yorkers living outside. Mayor Eric Adams previously promised to cut the red tape and make the application process more accessible and streamlined, but it hasn’t worked so far.

Efforts to build more affordable housing units continue to stall, decreasing the inventory for newer, up-to-date units that could comfortably house more potential renters. Combine a lengthy application process with lower-quality apartments where renters complain about heat, condition, and accessibility, and the city enters the current situation where too many units sit vacantly.

“How do you have a vacant apartment, when you need people to be in the apartment, and you have so much paperwork that they can’t get in the apartment?” Adams said. “That is not how I’m going to run this city.”

The post Why 2,600 Supportive Housing Units Sit Vacant in NYC appeared first on CitySignal.

Ken Eakes, Executive Director at MWSF, noted that “there are many hurdles to overcome while running a small business and operating in a borough like the Bronx, where recovery has been stalled. Citizens and MWSF have a track record of supporting small businesses and seeing the results of our support extend to the communities around them.” The award will help business owners like Estrella further develop their mission to help veterans.

Military Warriors Support Foundation and Citizens Award

Citizens and MWSF teamed up to provide three awards to veterans who operate small businesses in the Bronx. Citizens Financial Group provides various retail and commercial banking products to consumers, from individuals to large corporations and institutions. Citizens follows through on efforts to support robust New York City communities with initiatives like their Workforce Development Program in Queens and Chinatown Renewal Fund.

The institution and non-profit, which have worked together for eight years, provide the largest corporate grant for veterans in the Bronx. Citizen’s Head of Consumer Banking, Brendan Coughlin, remarks that they have “a long-standing commitment to supporting veterans, particularly in under-served communities where small businesses are struggling to recover from the pandemic.”

At this time, community members can also donate non-perishable food items for Worldwide Veterans and Family Services at all Citizens locations in the Bronx.

Who is Military Warriors Support Foundation?

MWSF, founded in 2007 by Leroy Sisco, is a 501c3 non-profit charity that assists Combat-Wounded Heroes and Gold Star Families with housing, transportation, leadership development, and outdoor recreation. For the past fifteen years, their focus on housing and homeownership has helped veterans acquire mortgage-free homes.

One of their programs, Hope4Heroes, specifically helps veterans develop their small businesses. “Hope4Heroes is an extraordinary initiative helping veterans all across the country, and we are proud to partner with Citizens to bring the program to the Bronx,” Eakes notes.

$300,000 Grant for Veteran Small Businesses in the Bronx

The $300,000 grant provides recipients tailored support and resources to strengthen their veteran-owned small businesses. With the grant, owners can renovate their storefronts, implement new technology and training programs, and receive a full year of financial mentorship.

While the program awarded its first recipient this week, eligible applicants can continue to submit through the end of 2022.

Marisa Estrella Wins

Estrella received the program’s first award this week, which provides her with funding to further develop her small business, WVFS. Estrella, who served in the US Army from 1997 through her honorable discharge in 2006, now works to help veterans who are either homeless or at risk of homelessness lead a dignified life.

On winning the award, Estrella remarks, “I am grateful for this amazing grant and invaluable support for my business, and I want to thank Citizens and MWSF for making this happen. The Bronx is my home, and I am proud to start here, serving veterans in my neighborhood. Rehabilitation of low-income veterans is critical to help them transition to civilian life and continue contributing to their communities. My goal is to help homeless or at-risk veterans have better and dignified lives. Citizens and MWSF are helping make my vision a reality.”

What is Worldwide Veterans and Family Services?

WVFS is a 501c3 non-profit charity that helps veterans with various services like counseling and referrals, emergency funds, and transitional and permanent housing solutions to individuals and families in the Bronx. By fostering a strong community through a veterans-helping-veterans approach, the team continues to provide services emphasizing dignity, hope, and self-sufficiency.

Those interested in supporting WVFS can click here to donate directly or learn about other opportunities to help.

Items in the Award

With the $300,000 grant, Estrella received the following:

• 2023 Ford Transit Cargo Van and 1 year of commercial insurance
• 1-year financial mentorship
• Tech to help her succeed
• Two laptops and an all-in-one printer
• Accounting software, Quickbooks for Non-profits
• $1,000 in a gas card

Information for Prospective Applicants

Veterans in the Bronx who own small businesses can continue to apply for the program through the end of the year. Applicants must demonstrate honorable character and service and can click here to learn more and apply.

The program will continue to award two more recipients before closing applications for this year. Recipients will receive an award tailored to their specific needs, potentially including material support and equipment, website design, storefront improvements, and other needs as deemed fit.

The post Marisa Estrella Wins the First of Three Awards to Support Veteran Small Business Owners appeared first on CitySignal.

In 2014, Dell Technologies founder and billionaire Michael Dell bought a condo in the One57 tower that sits just one block south of Central Park, in a neighborhood nicknamed Billionaires’ Row. At the time, Michael Dell’s purchase was a record-setting transaction, reaching a $100.47 million price tag. 

The Park Savoy Hotel, situated just behind the One57 tower, is a clear contrast to the opulence of the surrounding neighborhood. A former budget hotel, the modest property opened in November 2021 as Billionaires’ Row’s first homeless shelter, with enough beds for 80 men. However, it only opened after years of delays and appeals from the powerful, wealthy residents that surround it. 

Years of Delays and Appeals

The Park Savoy Hotel was originally supposed to reopen as a shelter in early 2018. The project was part of former NYC mayor Bill de Blasio’s 2017 plan to open up 90 new homeless shelters in the city, with an emphasis on adding more shelter beds to wealthy neighborhoods. 

Instead of opening in 2018, the project was stalled for years because Billionaires’ Row residents took legal action to try to stop the homeless shelter from coming to their neighborhood. Their 2018 lawsuit alleged that the Park Savoy building wasn’t safe enough to house a shelter and that it would bring crime and loitering that would lead to what the Guardian reported as “irreparable injuries.” By irreparable injuries, the lawsuit is referring to property values.

After the Park Savoy Hotel officially reopened as a shelter, Michael Fischer, a leading resident opposing the project, sent a statement to THE CITY. He alleged that the shelter was a “fire trap” because of its single entrance and staircase and that it was a safety hazard to “both the lives of residents, neighbors and first responders.” 

However, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance spokesperson Anthony Farmer responded by saying that his agency deemed the building safe after reducing its capacity from 140 to 80 residents. 

“The decision to approve this shelter while limiting capacity balances the ongoing need for additional shelter beds in New York City and protecting the safety of residents,” Farmer said.

According to The Nation, neighborhood residents spent up to $400,000 opposing the homeless shelter, including at least $287,000 in lobbyist and lawyer fees. Most astonishingly, their community group spent $100,000 on a billboard campaign in Iowa attacking Mayor de Blasio’s 2020 presidential bid, even though he wasn’t considered a legitimate contender for the nomination.

Mayor Adams’ Initiative to Fight Homelessness

As a mayoral candidate, Adams supported an initiative to turn underused hotels into affordable housing and homeless shelters. The Park Savoy Hotel is clearly an important part of the Mayor’s efforts, but it is a relatively low-scale project with room for only 80 beds. In March 2022, New York City’s main municipal shelter system housed 48,524 homeless people on an average night. 

In his latest budget, Adams proposed an additional $171M in funding to combat homelessness. The money would primarily go to adding 1,400 new shelter beds as part of the city’s Safe Haven Program which offers more comprehensive services and enforces fewer restrictions than typical shelters. 

The post Homeless Shelter In Former Park Savoy Hotel Creates Costly Debate appeared first on CitySignal.

Other cities in America face a similar dilemma. Tolerance for homeless encampments is fading, even in traditionally progressive cities, but finding shelter for people living on the streets remains a challenge. When encampments are cleared, residents often move to other encampments instead of landing in housing. 

Other Cities’ Approaches To Homeless Encampments

Last year, Los Angeles, in newsworthy fashion, cleared a vast homeless encampment in Echo Park, a gentrifying neighborhood north of Downtown. The city pledged to house every unhoused person there. Almost 200 people lived in the notorious homeless encampment, but one year later, only 17 residents live in permanent housing, with another 50 in temporary shelter.

San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently pledged to clean up the Tenderloin, where the largest concentration of the city’s homeless lived. She struck a strict tone, threatening incarceration for those unwilling to accept shelter, but critics argued that there wasn’t adequate shelter to meet the demand. 

In the District of Columbia, the National Parks Service notified campers living in an encampment outside Union Station, near the Capitol Building, that the encampment will be cleared. While the city will try to connect affected residents with housing, many will end up in other locations around the city. 

Many individuals living on the streets choose to not accept a shelter bed due to concerns over safety, privacy, or strict rules. However, many others are left to fend for themselves on the street due to a lack of adequate volume of shelter beds. In NYC, Mayor Adams hopes to change that with his latest budget proposal. 

NYC Budget For Homeless Services

As part of his proposed nearly $100 budget, Adams proposed an additional $171M for homeless services, which would primarily go toward bolstering the city’s shelter system. The money would fund outreach efforts to help connect homeless individuals with critical resources, while creating 1,400 new shelter beds to help house New Yorkers living on the streets. 

The 1,400 new beds are part of the city’s Safe Haven Program, which will reach 4,000 beds with the new additions. The program started during Bill de Blasio’s tenure, and is a bit different than normal shelter programs. It provides temporary shelter beds for homeless New Yorkers coming off the street, and offers more comprehensive services with fewer restrictions than typical shelters. For example, the Safe Haven program has no curfew, and some beds, but not all, are located in private rooms. 

“We have to abandon the belief that it is dignified to allow people to live on streets in encampments, tents, cardboard boxes, no access to mental health services, drug paraphernalia, human waste inside these tents,” Mr. Adams said in an interview.

Mayor Adams, in a press conference, claimed the new shelter beds will make a big difference in the city’s fight against homelessness and will go further than the efforts of Bill de Blasio’s administration.  

“New York City must ensure that this is happening correctly. And so, we are making sure that we have safe spaces for New Yorkers to live, to heal, to heal and to be cared for,” Adams said Sunday. “The investment will help fund 1,400 low-barrier haven and stabilization beds, bringing the total up to 4,000. Now, the previous administration talked about these beds. We are funding these beds, which is a big difference.”

Criticism For Adam’s Approach for Homelessness

Many homeless advocates argue that the latest funding proposal isn’t enough to meet the demand and fails to provide permanent housing options for individuals coming off the street. Dave Giffen, executive director of Coalition for the Homeless, critiqued the mayor’s funding proposals in a statement. 

“More Safe Havens and stabilization beds are a good thing,” Giffin said in a statement. “But they will fill up fast, and in the absence of any real permanent housing options for their residents, they will stay filled, as more of our neighbors fall into homelessness and take their place on the streets . “Homeless New Yorkers want and need shelters that offer the safety of private rooms, adequately trained staff and a pathway to a real home. The number of private rooms, and the actual number of truly new beds in the plan is unclear, and should be published and tracked.”

Housing Works CEO Charles King offered up a similar criticism, calling out the lack of permanent housing solutions. “…these folk then need to transition to permanent housing with the type of support that will allow them to stay housed. Adequate supportive housing will require a much more significant investment of both capital and operating dollars from New York City, King said in a statement”. 

The post Mayor Adams Proposes $171M for Homeless Housing appeared first on CitySignal.

Beyond the immediate complications of homelessness, such as health and safety, many wonder what will happen to the expansive homeless population when a new superstorm hits the city, seemingly only a matter of time. With little preparation in place, the answer seems to be a grim one. Below is a breakdown of the homeless crisis and global warming implications and the intersection of the two. 

The Homelessness Crisis

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, New York City had 48,413 homeless people in January of 2022, 15,057 of which were homeless children. This figure counts all people sleeping in one of the city’s shelters, but numbers are undoubtedly much higher when including those not in a shelter and not included in the study or count. The 48,413 figure is a single-month count, but during 2021, the number was a whopping and revolving 107,510, an already dreary problem heightened by the pandemic.

In addition to the basic figures, problems amongst the homeless have been increasingly in the news in the last few months as somber stories of deaths. This includes one woman found on a subway train following the loss of her home and the recent hunt for the gunman behind a shooting spree in New York and Washington that left numerous dead.

Additionally, the battle for Mayor Adams to eradicate homelessness in the city has risen to light, concentrating on those seeking refuge in the subway system. But with unsafe shelter conditions, equally unsafe streets, and limited resources, the push for a universal solution leaves many reeling for solutions and no safe haven to turn to in the meantime.

The Climate Crisis

One of the many side-effects of global warming and subsequent climate crisis is that storms are set to increase frequency or intensity. Particularly vulnerable areas include dense coastal cities with rising sea levels and potential for mass floodings, like New York and New York City.

The state boasts 837 kilometers of coastline, and the effects of sea-level rise have already begun to manifest. Rising over 9 inches since 1950, heightened sea levels pose a major threat due to the city’s unique build and density. From the intricate underground railroad system to over half of the state’s residents residing in coastal counties, over 30,000 properties are susceptible to floods and hundreds of thousands of residents.

Earth.Org created a model of New York City and what it may look like with prospective flooding in the year 2100. According to the projections, the areas expected to get hit worst are Long Beach, parts of Queens, including JFK and Brooklyn, Roosevelt Island, and parts of Manhattan lining bodies of water. Across the Hudson River, multiple cities, including Jersey City, Hoboken, and Bayonne, are also subjected to intense flooding, similar to NYC’s current flood map warnings. There is no simple solution, though, with a combination of methods, the area may be able to combat how drastic flooding is – time is running out.

Can New York Sustain Another Hurricane Sandy?

Scientists have thoroughly warned that New York City is not presently equipped to handle intense storming and adverse weather at this time. Even from the average New Yorker’s perspective, the problem is evident in response to storms that were not at full strength.

Looking At Hurricane Henri and Ida

When Hurricane Henri hit on August 22nd and then Hurricane Ida on September 1st last year, the back-to-back hurricanes forced subway closure and mass flash flood warnings. Citizens died, lasting damage was done to the city, and it took weeks to recover enough for things to return to “normal.” Perhaps the single silver lining was that the city’s overall weaknesses and vulnerabilities were highlighted.

In response to these storms, former Mayor De Blasio said, “this is the biggest wake-up call we could possibly get… what we have to recognize is the suddenness, the brutality of storms now. It is different.” Yet, there has been only a slight improvement since those words were said.

Mitigation or Adaptation?

There are two primary types of coping with the already changing climate as total prevention is no longer possible: mitigation and adaptation. Climate change mitigation focuses on lessening emissions to potentially reduce warming and the effects that come from it, such as heavier rainfall and changing habitats.

On the other hand, adaptation works to change the way we operate within our societies and ecosystems to help protect our livelihoods and understand that the changes are inevitable. These adjustments include using sandbags, relocating important buildings inland, and other ambitious preparations.

While programs around the world have taken effect from The Paris Agreement to plans set forth with the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change data, the fact is that particularly vulnerable places like New York, Hawaii, California, and other coastal areas, will need to focus on adaptation rather than solely looking at mitigation via reducing emissions.

That’s because the damage is already present in these areas. New England was deemed to be warming faster than anywhere else in the world at the end of 2021. Sea levels are rising, storms are worsening, the effects are here, and the best thing we can do is prepare, which New York City severely lacks, given its catastrophic potential.

Additionally, the numbers regarding natural disaster displacement are alarming and expected to continue rising, escalating NYC’s homelessness problem. United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre statistics published via Global Citizen state, “about 14 million people are being made homeless on average each year due to sudden disasters such as floods and storms… The risk of displacement could rise as populations swell and the impacts of climate change become more severe.”

New Orleans vs. New York City 

Using the devastating Hurricane Katrina as a comparative example, the homeless population sharply spiked and stayed elevated for years after the event. According to the National Coalition for the homeless, “the homeless issue in New Orleans is problematic. After natural disasters, there is generally an increase in homelessness which ends in about six months. In New Orleans, the rate of homelessness in and around the city has continued to increase, even three years after Katrina.” 

For reference, New Orleans’ homeless population in 2018 (13 years post-Hurricane Katrina) was 1,188 PIT (point in time), while NYC’s was 73,523 that same year. If a storm of Hurricane Katrina’s magnitude were to hit New York today, a place with nearly 70,000 more homeless individuals per year, the effects would be undoubtedly horrific, as seen with New Orleans. 

New York City’s Current (and Failed) Plans  

The city has a Coastal Storm Plan in place that includes a regulated response to any adverse events, especially hurricanes. According to NYC’s Emergency Management, this plan includes,

“scalable, standalone plans that describe the various operational strategies needed to respond to the impacts of a coastal storm. These standalone plans outline such operations as Interim Flood Protection Measures (IFPM), evacuation (including healthcare facility evacuation), sheltering, logistics management, donations, and volunteer management, commodity distribution, debris management, and public information.”

However, these plans seem to target the aftermath and not the minimization of the impact to begin with. Former Mayor de Blasio first proposed a Climate Resilience Plan back in 2019 that would help to correct the shortcomings highlighted during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 directly. The plan initially included a 10 billion dollar budget but was later brought down to a $5 to $7 billion plan. A portion of the funds would target Lower Manhattan specifically by adding barriers, among other tools, for an estimated $500 million. Subsequent ambitions arose of extending land further into the rivers in the lower-lying areas, such as FiDi.

To gain traction for this plan, De Blasio relied heavily on the idea of the Green New Deal passing and a new administration to help acquire funding for the projects, but with the former mayor now out of office and no tangible fruition nearly three years later, some question what, if any, aggressive plans will be implemented and when.

Smaller projects, such as solar-powered streetlights in low-lying areas, have been implemented, but it does little in adaptation. As one of the last things De Blasio formulated on his way out of office, Senator Brian Kavanagh, expressed interest in carrying the torch and hope of developing a similar plan of attack in conjunction with Mayor Adams.

How the Homeless Population Will Bear the Brunt of Storms

Like much of the East Coast, New York City is prone to storms, including hurricanes, tropical storms, and nor’easters. The already devastating climate events are expected to get more dangerous as climate trends continue and have been slowly growing worse thus far.

Encampments and Shelters

Many of the city’s encampments are located in coastal places, and increased neighborhood homelessness complaints are coming in Lower Manhattan or along waterfronts. Without subways, without a shelter of any sort, homeless populations are sitting targets, their entire world vulnerable to being swept away overnight during storm season.

Additionally, even if a person experiencing homelessness were to snag a place in a shelter, the reality is that many of New York’s densest shelters are also in vulnerable areas. This means already overexerted resources and facilities may have the greatest displacement when it becomes necessary to evacuate.

Socio-economic Status and Location

As for those living on the street, where will they go when shelters are maxed out and there is no way out of the city? Pairing flood risk maps with a map of median household incomes in NYC, areas along the water are mixed between high-income and low-income individuals, depending on the borough. Many areas most prone to flooding are overwhelmingly areas with income below $35,000.

That’s not to say that those with high incomes are not also susceptible to displacement. Still, in their choice to live in luxury waterfront buildings, they will most likely have the means to relocate safely when necessary compared to those forced to be in vulnerable areas and will probably be stuck or limited in options when in the path of a storm.

Subways

Subways are particularly vulnerable during these events as their underground nature makes them a perfect place for floodwaters to settle in.

With the uptick in homeless populations seeking refuge in subway stations, the chance of their livelihoods being taken away is much greater—the increased danger of being underground day-round, susceptible at any time to storms.

What is considered an inconvenience for millions of New Yorkers who rely on the transportation system quickly becomes a blatant hazard for those with nowhere else to go, especially in adverse weather events.

Final Thoughts

The reality is that many New Yorkers are vulnerable to potentially devastating storm effects. Storms don’t pinpoint a certain group or have a vendetta. They are largely unpredictable and wild. As they are expected to get worse, the outcomes are too. The key difference is how someone has to react to an incoming storm and preserve their livelihood.

In many ways, the homeless population is especially vulnerable to losing the things they love and are at great risk of losing their lives. To best protect all New Yorkers, it’s necessary to adopt universal adaptation methods while keeping those most vulnerable at the forefront. 

The post Nearly a Decade Later: Is NYC Ready for Another Hurricane Sandy? appeared first on CitySignal.

On March 18th, now controversial Mayor Eric Adams did a brief interview featured in the NY Times in which he announced his administration’s plan to tackle the city’s out-of-control homeless problem, starting with the subway system and parts of Lower Manhattan. When asked, he stated his intention to accomplish this oft-promised feat was within a seemingly impossible time frame of just two weeks – but declined to provide further details on how he planned to handle this huge undertaking. It was noted by some that a lot of planning, organization, cooperation of several agencies, and coordination of countless people would need to happen, and there was nothing like that discussed.

Yet, less than two weeks from the date of that announcement, an update on the situation on Wednesday revealed that extensive and meticulous planning had [obviously] indeed taken place – just not within the usual construct. Ahead of schedule, it was reported yesterday that Adams’ goal had largely been achieved. His task force located 244 homeless encampments within a specific target area and had already cleared 239 of them yesterday. He cautions New Yorkers not to expect an overnight fix, as this was just the first phase of a multifaceted plan, and the problem is long-standing and complex. However, he did give assurances that he would succeed, whereas previous administrations had failed. He pledged his commitment to help heal the city, post-pandemic, and restore its good reputation. Part of that pledge is dismantling and cleaning up these encampments, both on our streets, and in our subways, Adams said.

Crime Spike

The move came due in part to a recent spike in crime in NYC, especially in the subway system, and violent crime, in particular, has been a topic of much debate. In February of this year, there were 8 attacks in the subway system, in one weekend alone. This sparked fear in the public over riding the public transit system once again, for fear of being targeted by homeless criminals. And then the recent murder of Michelle Go by a mentally ill homeless man in the subway didn’t help matters for the Mayor. Martial Simon was an angry man with schizophrenia and did not know Go, who for no apparent reason, shoved her in front of a train where she died instantly. These crimes have become an area of focus for Adams, a former transit cop.

Summary of Steps Taken

Despite raised eyebrows, amidst controversy over multiple issues that have challenged the new Mayor, Eric Adams seems to be determined to make progress in one of NYC’s most critical areas – the estimated 50K+ homeless population. Here are some of the important recent developments:

• Mayor Adams opened Morris Avenue Safe Haven, a new 80-bed shelter in the Bronx with special rules and privacy in an effort to tempt the homeless into staying. This is part of a plan already in action, with 350 beds already opened out of a 500-bed goal, in the new Safe Haven facilities. These facilities also provide full-service medical primary care and mental health counseling.
• Task Force – Adams put together a task force containing members from the Department of Social Services, the Sanitation Department, the Parks Department and the Police Department. They perform coordinated “sweeps” or “cleanups” in which they follow a series of steps (see below). 133 cleanups were carried out in January 2022.
  • Homeless encampments are identified in a specific target area first, then police officers give each encampment a 24-hour notice. Social Services outreach workers speak to the homeless and offer them housing options, letting them know where they can go for help.
  • Taskforce members return the next day, and if they have to dismantle and remove the encampment, they give the owner a voucher to claim their things when they find another place to stay. Again they are given information on where they can go. Adams has already agreed that you can’t force someone to go but said additionally, you can’t build a cardboard house on the streets of the city, either.
  • Results are “mixed” so far – Adams said himself, in Wednesday’s update. Only 5 people in the roughly 240 camps removed took city officials up on the shelter option. However, Adams said over 300 people have taken the option since the first announcement in February was made about removing the homeless population from NYC streets and subway systems.

Homelessness ~ A Complex Issue

Of course, we all know that homelessness is a complex and multifaceted issue, and NYC has a major challenge ahead for Mayor Adams and other leadership, in gaining some semblance of control over the situation. For now, it seems the solution is just a temporary measure that isn’t very effective. As a society, it becomes an area we try to ignore, for lack of a better solution. But we all find out sooner or later that ignoring the problem does not make it go away. In fact, typically it keeps growing until it’s completely out of control. Which is what has happened, here in NYC. Adams seems to be determined to make headway with the problem and has a plan to achieve his goals. Only time will tell.

The post Mayor Eric Adams Takes on NYC’s Homeless with Recent Crackdown    appeared first on CitySignal.

Lack of access to housing and adequate shelter is a major problem for many New Yorkers, particularly as we enter into the coldest months of the year and nighttime temperatures are regularly below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit).

Though there is a lot more work that needs to be done when it comes to addressing homelessness in New York City, there are many resources available. Whether you are currently homeless or are hoping to help those who are, consider these helpful resources:

When Should I Call 311?

In New York (and many other large American cities), 311 is a number that can be called to access city services in a non-emergency situation. One of the many services that can be accessed via the 311 phone line is the city’s “Homeless Outreach” service, designed to help those who are currently living without access to housing.

By calling 311, you can find access to homeless shelters for both yourself and other people. During the winter, the City may issue a “Cold Blue” warning, meaning that the temperature has dropped below 32 degrees (including windchill) and homelessness will be treated as an emergency—when this is the case, all Homeless Outreach calls will be redirected to the 911 emergency line.

How Can I Find a Homeless Shelter in New York City?

There are several ways to find a homeless shelter in New York City, including through services provided by the city, as well as services provided by charities and other non-governmental organizations.

If you have access to the internet, you can use NYC’s Department of Homeless Services online portal to search for both temporary and permanent shelter options. According to the Department of Social Services, “Governed by a unique right to shelter mandate, New York City provides temporary emergency shelter to every man, woman, and child who is eligible for services every night. This policy sets New York apart from municipalities across the nation—many of which turn homeless individuals and families away once shelters have filled up or simply put their names on the waiting list.”

The right to shelter mandate has helped New York prevent many deaths due to lack of shelter, particularly during the cold winter months. Other organizations, including the Coalition for the Homeless, also have online platforms that can help homeless people find resources and shelters for men, women, families, and children. 

The Grand Central Food Program (GCFP)

The Grand Central Food Program, which is supported by the Coalition for Homelessness, provides warm food, coats, blankets, sleeping bags, and other much-needed resources throughout the entire year. The program operates via trucks and products are distributed freely throughout the city.

Currently, the GCFP runs its trucks in the evenings, with most stops taking place between 7:15 and 9:30. The downtown route features eight stops between 35th St. (under FDR Drive) and Penn Station, the uptown route features nine stops between 51st St. and Harlem hospital, and the Bronx route features seven stops between the intersections of Fordham and Webster and Randall and Bryant.

The program runs every day, regardless of the weather (even during blizzards).

New York City Church Assistance Programs

Many of the churches (and other religious or spiritual organizations) in New York are committed to providing resources and shelter for the homeless. One of the best churches for obtaining overnight shelter is the First Presbyterian Church, which is located at 12 W 12th Street and can be reached by phone at 212-675-6150. There, “clients can have a bed to sleep in, or given a free hot meal, and volunteers provide other support services available, especially in Manhattan.”

Other New York churches that provide help and assistance to the homeless include The Church of the Holy Apostle (located at 296 9th Avenue), the Church of the Blessed Sacrament (located at 152 W 1st Street), and many others. Using a combination of volunteers and donations, these churches run soup kitchens and provide food to those in need.

In addition to food and shelter, the churches of New York City also provide services that help those in need pay their bills. According to the program, “Struggling residents of the greater New York City area can get help from local churches and other faith based groups. Some of what may be provided includes shelter, hot meals, information on applying for financial aid or maybe a few dollars to pay a bill as well as other aid. There are churches that support the poor, immigrants, and vulnerable in all [five] boroughs.”

Homelessness is always a challenge—and housing is something that should be considered a human right. If you or someone you know is currently experiencing homelessness, be sure to consider utilizing these helpful outreach programs and other resources.

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