The streets of New York City, often bustling with life, have also become home to an increasing number of street homeless individuals. As reported by Gothamist, the number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping on the streets this year rose gently, marking a 3.5% share of the city’s overall homeless population according to numbers released by the Adams administration. This count, known as the HOPE count, took stock on a January night and found 4,504 individuals in locations not meant for human habitation. The uptick arrives as the city prepares to face significant federal funding cuts.
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli illuminated a broader crisis in a recent report that demonstrated a more than doubled count of homeless individuals across New York State. The “New Yorkers in Need: Homelessness in New York State” report, covered by SILive.com, highlighted an increase of 113% from 74,178 in January 2022 to 158,019 in January 2024. This distressing statistic represents a staggering 20% of the nation’s total homeless population. DiNapoli’s report pointed specifically to migrants and asylum seekers as a predominant factor in this sharp increase, with nearly half of New York City’s homeless identified as such.
The Adams administration, addressing the immediate concern, underlined efforts to address street homelessness and to move more people into temporary and permanent housing. These initiatives, however, come at a time when the city grapples with a 1.4% vacancy rate in available apartment rentals. Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park noted, “Despite the tremendous challenges confronting the city, from an unprecedented humanitarian crisis to a historic low in the housing vacancy rate, we remain steadfast in our efforts to reach every New Yorker in need and connect them to the services they deserve,” as Gothamist reported…