Every single night, New York City accommodates more than 60,000 people in its homeless shelters! 24,000 are of these unfortunate people are children! The number of homeless New Yorkers has been rising at an astonishing rate since 2011, recently cresting at 60,939 men, women, and children. This crisis is about to overwhelm the largest city in the United States. What is going on?

THE HISTORY

New York City is one of only three places in America that guarantees shelter for the needy. The other two are Washington D.C. and Massachusetts. Forty years ago, a court decision referred to as the “Right to Shelter” decision forced New York City to provide temporary homes to those who say the streets are their only alternative. The court cited a section of the New York State Constitution that stated: “The aid, care, and support of the needy are public concerns and shall be provided by the state and by such of its subdivisions…”

New York City has spent billions over 40 years to provide shelter for its homeless. It has opened countless emergency shelters, built rent-controlled public housing, provided rent subsidies to needy families, issued housing vouchers, and hired lawyers to fight evictions. Even this good- hearted massive effort on the part of New York City residents is not enough. The number of homeless who seek shelter nightly in New York City continues to grow.

TWO SIDES

This ongoing crisis has, of course, stirred considerable debate.

The question: Is shelter for all a moral responsibility?

• One school of thought is represented by Kevin Corinth of the American Enterprise Institute. He believes that children have a right to shelter, but beyond that the guarantee may be providing a perverse incentive to enter the shelter system when less dependency on government should be a viable option. He points to a 2014 Institute report showing that places guaranteeing shelter have seen a 40% increase in family homelessness over the previous three years as opposed to an 8% decrease nationally.
• Even those that believe it is society’s moral responsibility, state that the city must take the following immediate actions to confront the growing crisis:

1. Move 5,000 families annually into permanent housing.
2. Increase city housing subsidies to 2,500 additional households per year.
3. Add 500 scattered-site units of supportive housing yearly.
4. Convert cluster site apartments back to affordable permanent housing for priority families.
5. Find a minimum of 200 additional “safe haven” shelter beds.
6. Enact and fund a “Right to Counsel” law for low income tenants facing eviction.
7. Ensure that all homeless shelters are safe, up to code, and properly staffed.

A SHARED BURDEN

Even those that believe it is New York City’s unquestioned responsibility to provide shelter to those in need admit that the necessary immediate actions are a pretty heavy lift. When you add the increasing immediate needs to the already existing massive homeless infrastructure, it is clear that it will take the full cooperation of all interested parties to get the job done. The Trump administration is threatening deep cuts to federal housing programs while the state of New York is bogged down in funding limitations, bureaucratic indecision, and whistling past the graveyard. New York City is committed to doing the right thing. Let’s not make them suffer for their kindness.