Author: bianca (Page 3 of 6)

How Effective is New York Handling the Rising Percentage of Homelessness?

Throughout my research my goal was to look for what actions were being taken in this state towards homelessness. I found that the running number of homeless are not just residents of New York but there are thousands of asylum seekers that aimed for New York because they had heard of our Right to Shelter law. Unfortunately with thousands of people without stable housing, the shelters are swelling and are coming to full capacity. Along with the NYC eviction moratorium  that expired in January, the percentage of evicted is increasing with the protection that expired along with the rent relief programs for tenants.  Considering the rising numbers, Mayor Eric Adams has passed the homeless bill of rights which is major help for it being a self-advocacy tool to the homeless that are within their rights. However Mayor Adams proposed a budget cut to homeless services and announced that taking a break of the “Right to Shelter” law will give the shelters that are at a surplus, regulate. Adams also passed a new policy in which first responders have the ability to hospitalize anyone that is living on the streets and is undergoing mental illness without consent. All these new acts are important to all residents of New York because this impacts everyone and our environment.

Woodruff, Judy, William Brangham, and Sam Tsemberis. ” New York mayor orders some homeless people involuntarily hospitalized for mental illness.” Youtube, uploaded by PBS NewsHour, 1 December 2022,      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYoak752TDo

The rise of homelessness has been a running issue in the United States especially in New york City which has the largest homeless population than any other city in the U.S. The mayor of NYC, Eric Adams, announced a new policy to help this problem. This new policy allows first responders to forcibly hospitalize anyone that is living on the streets, and is undergoing mental illness, are believed to be a danger to themselves and not just a threat to others. Mayor Eric Adams announced “If severe mental illness is causing someone to be a danger to themselves, we have a moral obligation to help them and get the treatment and care they need.” As well as saying that city hospitals would be required to develop ongoing treatment for those that are admitted. Dr. Sam Tsemberis, founder of Pathways Housing First, spoke on the matter and expressed he was slightly disappointed with the mayor’s choice. He expressed that it should be an evidence based approach, involuntary treatment is not a solution. Offering affordable housing is an immediate solution to homelessness. Along with follow- up mental health support services for those that are suffering with mental illness has been proven to be more effective. Asking police to take people against their will is unethical and may be illegal. In Sams experience, 5 years of coercive hospital treatments, staying a month, then being released back to the streets with no housing is a repeating cycle. The problem that should be prioritized is homelessness not mental illness, because mental illness takes time to cure. Homelessness can be cured immediately and getting them off the streets would be a safer, healthier environment not just for the homeless but for everyone.

When watching this news report I rewatched 2-3 times to ensure I had understood every piece of information. I agree with Dr. Sam Tsemberis and find him to be a credible source for having such a long history with studying and publishing work on homeless. He has an organization as well that works on getting homeless immediate housing. The PBS News I also found to be the most credible of most news sources since they double check their facts and are the least biased.

• “We already know involuntary treatment in a psychiatric hospital is not a solution to homelessness. Housing is a solution to homelessness, and follow-up mental health support services are what helps people with mental illnesses do better.     2:36

Small, Eddie. ” More Right to Counsel Money would help prevent long-feared homelessness surge.” Crain’s New York Business, Vol. 39, No. 16, 2023, P. 22

https://web.s.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=0&sid=08e0ec02-51a3-4784-8b99-74e3b16a73d2%40redis&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#AN=163368919&db=bwh

In the database article, Eddie Small brings to light that a major contributor to homelessness is eviction.  New York’s eviction moratorium expired in January 2022, as well as the protection and rent relief programs for tenants.  The moratorium was placed during the pandemic and previously stopped landlords from filing new eviction cases. Since it has expired, it has brought many cases with thousands of people being removed from their buildings. A motion that can be taken by the state to help resolve this problem would be to provide more funding for the Right to Counsel law.  Which has a leading campaign that is attempting to make it a right for tenants to have a lawyer when facing eviction. This an agreeable term for both the landlord and tenants, since it would be beneficial to both parties. With eviction rates being anticipated  to progress and become more frequent, securing the funds for Right to Counsel will ensure the state is prepared.

When I first read this article it was a lot of new information that I was uninformed on. I had to look further into the New York eviction moratorium, as well as the Right to Counsel Coalition.  I support the author’s suggested plan on moving forward, as it seems to be a sound plan to help those that are being evicted. Although I do have questions about the upcoming budget plan and if his outlines for the increase of funds are fiscally possible.

• “One of the main fears about ending New York’s eviction moratorium was that it would promptly lead to a massive surge in evictions and, subsequently, homelessness. This would be a major problem for any city but particularly for New York, where the court and shelter systems are both already notoriously overburdened.”
• “The city found at the end of 2021 that 84% of tenants facing eviction who had a lawyer got to remain in their home.”
• “This has been especially true for the city’s fiscal year 2024 budget given the widespread cuts that Mayor Eric Adams has proposed. Potential slashes to libraries and education have received the lion’s share of attention so far,”