July 22, 2007
Persistance and Growth of Homelessness Stymies Bloomberg
While Mayor Bloomberg may have given himself an A on his personal report card that determes how well he fulfilled goals of his administration, one blot on that report card is the recent rise in the number of homeless people in New York City. When he was elected, Bloomberg promised to cut the number of homeless people by two-thirds. Today, the number of homeless people in the city is at a 20 year high.
The New York Times details how it was not for a lack of trying that homeless grew during Bloomberg's tenure in office. The city spent $79 million on initiatives to fight the problem, including a Compstat-like program to track incidences of homelessness and identify trends that could be corrected before they became full-fledged problems. Bloomberg took on programs that he thought encouraged people in marginal housing to become homeless, and met stiff opposition.
Advocates for the homeless are gearing up for the types of courtroom battles they engaged in 20 years ago, while an urban policy expert at the Manhattan Institute describes the intransigence of the problem as an example of the limitation of technocratic approaches to what are social problems, and the belief that one is dealing with reasonable actors.
We wonder if Bloomberg might not be a victim of his own success and the economic success of New York City as a whole. Soaring real estate prices and the increased livability of the city are attracting more and more people to live and stay in New York. The high price of real estate has led developers to convert marginal housing stock to high-value residences. We imagine this has a ripple effect that eventually nudges some people on the edge of poverty out of their residences and onto the street.
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sorry that this is not about the homeless situation, but it could be sooner rather than later ...
I'm only a rent stabilized tenant who is trying very hard to keep head above water in this town where we were told when we came here that middle class people could live comfortably; it's really NOT happening - maybe Mayor Mike could see fit to lobby the guys in Albany (Mr Bruno especially) to raise the luxury decontrol number for rent-stabilization to at least a $3,000/month rent before breaking everyone's back?
Every single year my blood pressure goes sky-high when those forms arrive from the landlord and I have to once again STOP everything I'm doing to try to earn a living and CONVINCE the STATE that "no, I DON'T make more than $175K/yr for two years IN A ROW" ... can't they figure out that if I make $30k one year and then $1M the next year I'm still not a CULPRIT??
How about AT LEAST sending those forms out every TWO YEARS??
thanks, and again, what do I know? I'm only a rent stabilized tenant for a long time now ...
I hope the landlord has a good cleaning crew because I'm going to kill myself instead of living in the streets. or jump out the window either way it's messy messy.
I'm leaving my guns to people I trust and love and will leave them the combo to the safe before I go.
Oh well. thems are the breaks.
the problems is the what what???
quote,
while an urban policy expert at the Manhattan Institute describes the intransigence of the problem as an example of the limitation of technocratic approaches to what are social problems, and the belief that one is dealing with reasonable actors.
quote.
I've definitely noticed more homeless people & panhandlers roaming downtown Brooklyn than I did five years ago. It's beginning to remind me of the 80s a little.
Guest #1, I live in a rent-stabilized apartment and have never had to report my income. You must be in a rent-subsidized apartment. There's a difference.
Rent subsidized apartments are also rent stabilized.
A few years ago the law changed to allow landlords to eliminate rents marked "preferential". I got a $400/month increase all at once. It was shocking. That kind of increase can easily make a person or a family homeless. I have seen no coverage of this in the media.
its hard, but you know what, the rest of the country (hell, the rest of NY state) has no controls and people move where they can afford to live. I dont see the problem with that. Living in Manhattan for example is not a god given right. You either work for it or you choose to live somewhere else. Subsidizing just raises costs for other people teetering on the edge. Decontrol is the only answer or soon everyone will not only be priced out of NYC, but taxed out as well.
what about all the forgein millionaires and billionaires from places like europe who come to New York and buy up the housing stock for apartments that are only used a few weeks of the year?
that's why it's also good to have that extra layer of protection in a Rent stabilized lease.
No decontrol on NYC rents.
Thank God and the founding fathers for the Second Amendment. That's MY God given RIGHT. Manhattan or no Manhattan.
Molon Labe.
Ooooh boy! foreshadowing! Its gonna get ugly on the streets again. I'm really surprised that the robbery rate hasn't gone up yet. There's so many easy marks walking around in places like Manhattan and the northwest side of Brooklyn.
You guys do realize that the extraordinary increase in real estate prices, at least in Manhattan, has alot to do with rich people from Overseas exploiting the weak dollar.
how can homelessness NOT be up when it was in the news just recently that they closed a shelter? Where are these people to turn if even the shelters get shut down?
HRA would rather have you go homeless (if you wind up there for help) than pay for your rent until you are back on your feet. If you have a decent address, that means you are no slouch and WILL find a good job again but the system isn't set up like that. I wish the new commissioner would take that up with his boss the mayor.
Also, stop building houses and build more apts so these poor families can also have a place to live. Not everyone can become a home owner!
Time to booby trap you homes, y'all.
when they a come knockin.
I think you nailed it, Dave.
In other words, the city's too damn expensive!