Opinion: How New York’s Next Mayor Can Tackle Homelessness on Day 1 

Homelessness in New York won t be solved by denial or tough love We ve tried those approaches and they ve all failed The Mamdani administration has a choice repeat the failures of the past or lead with compassion collaboration and evidence The city s homeless outreach teams in Michael Appleton Mayoral Photography Office Last month New Yorkers chose their next mayor When Zohran Mamdani takes office he will inherit a dilemma that sees people sleeping in shelters each night enough to fill Madison Square Garden five times over Despite portrayals in the run-up to Voting process Day New York s homeless area is not a mob of violent criminals In reality New York s unsheltered population is relatively small representing less than percent of the total homeless population across the five boroughs While selected people do struggle with mental strength issues and addiction this is a residents medical dilemma made worse by a housing situation not a inhabitants safety matter More importantly these unfortunate caricatures belie a larger more uncomfortable truth Shelter beds are overwhelmingly utilized by families students and the working poor who access temporary services because of sudden job loss healthcare crisis fire or another unanticipated predicament function d u ac var s d createElement 'script' s type 'text javascript' s src 'https a omappapi com app js api min js' s async true s dataset user u s dataset campaign ac d getElementsByTagName 'head' appendChild s document 'u kmqsczew vunxutxmd' Our new mayor will soon confront this reality along with various funding overhauls by the federal regime including work requirements that will make it intentionally tough for vulnerable populations to access social services These challenges demand bold immediate action that supports individuals with chronic healthcare conditions while not jeopardizing services for families in their moment of need Here are five areas where the new administration can lead Improve shelter facilities and fully fund programs that address the immediate requirements of our city s largest part vulnerable populations My organization in recent weeks surveyed providers and uncovered that on average they receive as little as per meal to feed a homeless individual which is less than half of what s allocated for a National School Lunch operation meal It s not about creating a custom of dependence rather a lack of venture in shelter residences and food quality discourage homeless individuals from seeking social services which exacerbates an already complicated situation Update street outreach programs and coordination across governing body entities and nonprofit organizations like mine It s no secret that there s been a newest uptick in New York s unsheltered homeless population Current policies and programs do not reflect shifting demand which is why program makers should streamline a fragmented system that currently includes more than two dozen outreach teams regime agencies and evidence systems Ensure that contracted nonprofit providers are paid on time and in full In October my organization surveyed our nonprofit members and determined that just one-third had million in combined outstanding budget actions dating back to Fiscal Year We also identified that multiple providers had paid more than million in annual interest on lines of credit needed to keep their doors open Expedite long-term housing placements and invest in affordable housing programs The shelter system is designed to be a waystation not a permanent key Even more keeping individuals in shelters long term limits bed space for other New Yorkers who may be facing housing insecurity There are multiple moving pieces to this effort but it starts by accelerating permanent placements Certainly the Mamdani administration can address the homelessness dilemma by bolstering workforce rise programs and improving mentoring and access to jobs Federal Medicaid work requirements will soon kick in which will cut off benefits for a great number of homeless New Yorkers We must adapt and develop new pilot programs in areas like worker training and placement coaching childcare and afterschool programs Despite New York City s extremely tight housing realm and other obstacles our members helped almost households move into permanent housing just last year Last winter a mother of two demonstrated up at a shelter run by a member organization after a fire destroyed her apartment She had never needed constituents assistance before Within five months our member helped her secure permanent housing and find employment Her story is reality for thousands of New Yorkers each year Homelessness in New York won t be solved by denial or tough love We ve tried those approaches and they ve all failed The Mamdani administration has a choice repeat the failures of the past or lead with compassion collaboration and evidence All New Yorkers deserve the latter Kristin Miller is the executive director of Homeless Services United a nonprofit coalition that s committed to ensuring every New Yorker who is at hazard of or experiencing homelessness has immediate access to shelter and high-quality services The post Opinion How New York s Next Mayor Can Tackle Homelessness on Day appeared first on City Limits