The Senior Housing Crisis Posted on February 29, 2016 by Sally Goldenberg in Politico New York For two years and three months, the only fresh air Steve Mancuso managed to breathe came from an open window in his small, second-floor walk-up in Queens. Mancuso had a bad fall on a wet bathroom floor. He developed an infection and 16 months later, in May 201 ..Read More
Food Banks Say N.Y. State is Dropping Ball on Hunger Crisis Posted on February 24, 2016 by Associated Press in CBS New York The state of New York is failing to address a growing hunger crisis affecting seniors, veterans and children around the state, according to the managers of food banks and pantries that gathered Wednesday at the Capitol in Albany. The group is asking lawmakers ..Read More
How Many Homeless People Are There in America? Posted on February 22, 2016 in The Economist Many city dwellers do their best not to see the homeless people who share their streets and pavements. Donald Trump once famously insisted that his security guards clear all tramps and panhandlers from the pavement in front of Trump Tower. Even when the homele ..Read More
Credit Scores Yet Another Obstacle in the Quest for Affordable Housing Posted on February 19, 2016 by Sarina Trangle in City and State Carmen Vega-Rivera jokes that she’s spent so much time in Bronx Housing Court that she sometimes checks to see if her portrait has been put up on the walls. After an accident coupled with health issues rendered her physically disabled, the long-time Grand Co ..Read More
A Harvard Sociologist on Watching Families Lose Their Homes Posted on February 19, 2016 by Jennifer Schuessler in The New York Times The first time the sociologist Matthew Desmond rode along during an eviction, he was shocked by the suddenness of “seeing your house turn into not your house in seconds.” “You see the mover reach past someone to turn on the lights without asking, then op ..Read More
In Bright Spot, Homeless Veterans Get a Hand Up Posted on February 16, 2016 by Melanie Grayce West in The Wall Street Journal When Hector Reyes moved into his new apartment in December, it marked an end to a string of misfortunes for the disabled veteran, including a period in New York City’s homeless shelters. The 24-year-old’s improved circumstances represent a step toward the ..Read More
Hundreds of Homeless Come Off Bitterly Cold NYC Streets, No Deaths Reported Posted on February 14, 2016 by Erin Durkin in New York Daily News Nearly 400 homeless people have come in off the streets since bitterly cold temperatures set in Saturday, Mayor de Blasio said. There have been no known deaths related to the cold. City teams brought 105 people to homeless shelters, all but one of them volunta ..Read More
The New York Times Close Up Posted on February 13, 2016 by Clyde Haberman in NY1 On the February 13, 2016 edition of The New York Times Close Up, hosted by Clyde Haberman, Times Critic at Large Wesley Morris describes Divisive and Diverse, though not at the same time: one is for the cover story in this Sunday’s Arts and Leisure secti ..Read More
De Blasio Personally Helped Relocate Homeless Into Shelters During Code Blue This Weekend Posted on February 15, 2016 by Emma Whitford in Gothamist Following his issuance of a Code Blue warning on Friday, and in an apparent effort to walk the walk, Mayor de Blasio took to the subway over the weekend and urged at least two homeless men to go to a shelter. “You deserve better than sleeping in a subway ..Read More