The Mayor’s Battle on Homelessness Posted on September 9, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times The alarming abundance of people panhandling or bedding down in New York City’s streets and subways this summer has made life more complicated for Mayor Bill de Blasio. It fits neatly into a prebaked narrative about his election, which right-wing critics sai ..Read More
Every Single Part of NYC is Unaffordable on $8.75/Hour Posted on September 8, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Curbed It’s no secret that rents in New York City are sky-high, but a new study by StreetEasy exposes just how unaffordable they really are (h/t NYDN). According to rent data gathered by the real estate site, New Yorkers need to earn an hourly wage of $38.80 to ..Read More
City Data Shows Extent of Homelessness, Visible and Not Posted on September 9, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in Politico New York The rise in homelessness in New York City isn’t just a matter of perception. Data obtained by POLITICO New York shows that services used by unsheltered homeless people is increasing, as is the number of unsheltered homeless individuals. The homelessness ..Read More
Mayor de Blasio Says Homeless Problem is ‘Decades Old’ Posted on September 8, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times Yes, there is a homeless problem in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged on Tuesday — even as he emphasized that his administration’s policies should not be blamed. Mr. de Blasio, facing a public outcry over street homelessness, has taken pains ..Read More
Bill de Blasio Faces Uphill Battle in Achieving Ambitious Goal of Finding Housing for All Homeless Veterans in 2015 Posted on September 7, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Daily News One of the most ambitious plans from Mayor de Blasio’s State of the City speech — ending veteran homelessness by the end of the year — appears increasingly unlikely. The number of homeless veterans remains at around 1,000 — the same number as in Februa ..Read More
All Hands on Deck vs. Homelessness Posted on September 6, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Daily News Last night, despite a sustained economic recovery, more than 56,000 New Yorkers slept in a shelter. Among them were 23,000 children who will soon head to their first day of school with one hand tied behind their back. No one is blameless for this human catastr ..Read More
Life on the Streets Posted on September 6, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times A reporter and a photographer visited homeless encampments across New York City, interviewing dozens of people, from teenagers to those in their 70s. Some had serious medical conditions; one woman was pregnant. They spoke of job losses, mental health issues, s ..Read More
Richard Gere ‘Invisible’ as Homeless Man in ‘Time Out of Mind’ Posted on September 5, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in New York Daily News Richard Gere was giving a performance from the heart, but New Yorkers didn’t give a second glance. Because they thought he was a homeless person. Gere, 66 and a star for almost four decades, was standing on Astor Place downtown early last year in a knit cap ..Read More
When Finding Housing Is a Job in Itself Posted on September 6, 2015 by Jacquelyn Simone in The New York Times Six years ago I went into the New York City shelter system. For 11 months, I searched for apartments like crazy. I had few options. I had just come out of a psychiatric hospital. I had a 4-year-old son and was pregnant with my daughter. I had a housing voucher ..Read More
