Personal Narrative: Homelessness In New York City

Every New Yorker has the right to a safe and affordable place to live in. New York’s shortage of affordable housing has reached a crisis point. Poor and elderly people throughout New York City are at a greater risk of homelessness and forced low-income residents do not have food or medical care to stay in their homes. A sinful structure of homelessness in New York City is New York’s shortage of affordable housing. Millions of New Yorkers are desperate to find affordable housing and tens of thousands are forced to live either in dirty shelters or on the streets. Recent data indicates that nearly 60,000 people, including more than 23,000 children, stay in the city’s main homeless shelter system (Guelpa). A small amount of poor renter households received a housing subsidy from the local government. Little assistance is being provided which means that most poor families and individuals that seek assistance

During the 1980’s the number of "homeless" people, those without a house in which to reside, increased at an alarming rate. Many analysts have given much time and thought as to the reasons that this phenomenon occurred. They cite economic instability and government policies with facts and figures to support their work. Beyond the research and cold statistics that explain this event, are the victims, and those that worked to help relieve their hardship. An interview with Philip Guerrieri gives us insight into the personal lives of these individuals whom he calls "houseless," and the realities of staying alive, both physically and spiritually, on the streets.

The problem I am going to discuss is homelessness in Long Island. What is homelessness and who defines it? Homelessness is a person lacking adequate shelter or otherwise residing below the minimal standard of what is considered a safe dwelling. The federal definition of homeless is an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence (HUD, 2011). Homelessness is not just a problem in big cities like New York or Los Angeles, but rather it is a global epidemic affecting small towns and suburbs such as Long Island.

New York city’s population is 8.5 million, one in one hundred and forty-seven New Yorkers are currently homeless. it is estimated that 58,000 homeless men, women and children sleep in homeless shelters and at least 3,100 sleep in the streets during winter. (Bowery). By looking at the sociological impact of homelessness, I will argue that New York city’s greatest problem is homelessness.

There is no place I feel more content than on the New York City subway. There is no sound I find more comforting than the voices of street performers rising above the roaring trains. No smell more welcoming than freshly made churros. At Wall street I can set my watch by the steady flow of men and women in bland colored suits at rush hour, or the families arguing about maps in foreign languages in Times Square. However, the unexpected aspect comes from the colored socks that are revealed from under the suits of the seemingly mundane men and women or the knowing glances shared between families presumed to be oblivious as they hold a map with Harlem facing south. The idiosyncrasies of these people are what, today, drive me to never stop searching for more information.

Taken from The New York Times, this article titled “As Temperatures Plunge, Call to Keep New York’s Homeless Off Streets Has Little Impact” discusses the overwhelming issue of homelessness in New York City, and how proper solutions to this issue aren’t being made. Throughout the article, it is evident that lawmakers and politicians who are involved in this issue can “talk the talk”, however they have trouble “walking the walk.” With an issue as broad and pressing as homelessness, there must be organized efforts to ensure that those without homes have a place to stay while preserving their dignity.

Homelessness is the most important public policy issue to me because it is a serious problem in New York City. In recent years, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression. The number of homeless peoples in the city is constantly growing. In fact, the number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping each night in municipal shelters is now 85 percent higher than it was ten years ago. The mayor worked hard to solve the issue and had success to a certain extent. For instance, according to the Wall Street Journal, city shelters have about 15,000 violations currently on the books, compared with 25,000 at the beginning of the year. Despite the efforts of the mayor, the issue of homelessness is nowhere near a permanent solution.

Homelessness in America has been slowly decreasing since 2013. In 2014 the New York City shelter system reported an increase of seven percent, from 50,135 in 2013 to 53,615 in 2014. In 2013 more than 111,000 different New Yorkers looked to the shelter system to give them safety, this is also including 40,000 different children. Overall homelessness has dropped by at least 2.3 percent, homelessness has decreased among every subpopulation. Veterans make up 10.5 percent of all homeless people, Veteran homelessness has dropped down to 25.5 homeless veterans out of every 10,000 veterans.

As a kid, I never really paid attention to what blessings were, in fact, it didn't even cross my mind. I grew up in a small house, with my parents and my sister. We loved to walk around a lot and most of the time we would come across homeless people. It was like a routine of ours that we would always give back to the people less fortunate. I remember as I was walking one day with my mom, we came across an old homeless lady and my mom gave her 20 dollars. We were lucky enough to have that much change left after shopping for food and we decided it would be kind to give it to someone else, but this lady was very different from most homeless people. She had bright neon pink nails, gray hair that would create an ombré effect almost as if she got it done, she took the money we gave

If there has been some obstacle or bump in the road in your academic or personal life, please explain the circumstances.

In my life, I have always felt that I was different from other people, that I was meant for a Greater purpose. During the summer of my freshman year, I got a indication of that. Something unexpected happened and it hit me like a freight truck. The mere thought of it made my knees weak,my heart race and my mind scramble. Growing up, I always had fears but the presence of this phenomenon would Make the other fears look like fantasies. For the first and only time, I faced homelessness.

A small college town, stoners, organic stores, and a well-known party town with a hippie vibe; this is Chico. James Marshall came to Chico just for this environment. “I came to Chico from Carson City cause I kept hearing that Chico was a chill place with chill people, and I was told the cops don’t give a fuck about what we free living people do,” said James Marshall laughing.

I don't know a lot about my father's past but I know it wasn't very pleasant. I know he was homeless at some point in his life which I thought was brave. So, when I had the opportunity to take a job at the University of Montana in the Corner Store, I did. I needed to make an income so I my friend and I could get a place down there. The only bump in the road was that I had no place to live if I went to Missoula. So, I ended up becoming homeless, like my dad, for a whole two nights. Impressive, I know. I was extremely excited by the idea when it first popped in my head because it was a new adventure. I figured it wouldn't be so hard and that I could handle it.

There was a sadness that filled the air all around me and no matter where I went it followed me like a shadow. There was no escaping the dark gloom that I could see in the eyes all around me. This sadness was like nothing I had ever seen or felt in my whole 13 years of existence, and it wasn’t in the air that I breathed when I first woke up this morning in my aunts house in my small hometown in Tama, Iowa.

My friends often describe me as a cynic and a pessimist. For the most part, they're right. Sentiment loses value when it permeates one's attitudes and behavior just as the value of a commodity decreases as it becomes ubiquitous, so as a rule I reserve expressing sentiment for rare occasions that I deem worthy. Fortunately, even the harshest cynics are surprised sometimes.