How the homicide of a homeless man in New York’s subway exposed a city’s crisis

Homeless man choked by passenger in subway
A Marine veteran that claims he was trying to protect others
Ruled a homicide but still under investigation
A list of homeless people with acute needs
Homelessness and mental health crisis
Highest levels of homelessness since the 30s
Adults and children sleeping in shelters
Lack of affordable housing
Eviction, job loss, domestic violence
Mental illness, addiction, severe health problems
Black and Latino New Yorkers are the most affected by homelessness
People with disabilities are vulnerable to homelessness
Unsheltered homeless people
No accurate measurement of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers
“Cleanups” to end unsheltered homelessness
NYPD officers and city sanitation services conduct the “cleanups”
Unsheltered homeless people are given a 24-hour notice
Advocates against “cleanups”
Unsheltered homeless people have usually tried the shelter system before
Forcing people into shelters isn’t the right way to go, advocates say
The government isn’t addressing the root causes of homelessness
A better solution: housing first
What is ‘housing first’?
Stable housing is a primary need
Housing first vs. Housing readiness
Housing is just a piece of the puzzle
Care that meets the individual needs of all homeless New Yorkers
Different needs for different people
More and easier access to permanent housing
Investments in marginalized communities
Access to economic opportunity
Homeless man choked by passenger in subway

Jordan Neely, a 30 year-old homeless man, was restrained and forced to the floor in a fatal chokehold in New York city’s subway by another passenger after he started shouting that he was hungry, thirsty and had little to live for, CNN reported.

A Marine veteran that claims he was trying to protect others
The passenger who choked Neely is a Marine veteran who claims he acted to protect himself and other passengers from Neely’s threats, according to his lawyers. However, witnesses said Neely didn’t have any weapons nor did he attack anyone.
Ruled a homicide but still under investigation
Neely’s death was ruled a homicide by New York City’s medical examiner, but the ruling does not determine whether there was intent or culpability and the case is still under investigation, the Manhattan District Attorney said.
A list of homeless people with acute needs
Neely, known by NewYorkers as a Michael Jackson impersonator, had been on a list of the city’s homeless with acute needs, a source told CNN.
Homelessness and mental health crisis

Neely’s death comes at a moment when New York City continues to deal with a growing population of unhoused people and a mental health crisis.

Highest levels of homelessness since the 30s

In recent years, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.

Adults and children sleeping in shelters

According to the same organization, "in November 2022, there were 67,150 homeless people, including 21,089 homeless children, sleeping each night in New York City's main municipal shelter system,” a near record.

 

 

Lack of affordable housing

The primary cause of homelessness, particularly among families, is lack of affordable housing, according to surveys of homeless families in NYC.

Eviction, job loss, domestic violence

Surveys of homeless families have identified the following main triggering causes of homelessness: eviction, doubled-up or severely overcrowded housing, domestic violence, job loss, and hazardous housing conditions.

Mental illness, addiction, severe health problems

Research shows that, compared to homeless families, homeless single adults have higher rates of serious mental illness, addiction disorders, and other severe health problems.

Black and Latino New Yorkers are the most affected by homelessness

Approximately 56% of heads of household in shelters are Black, 32% are Latin Americans, 7% are white, less than 1% are Asian-American or Native American, and 4% are of unknown ethnicity.

People with disabilities are vulnerable to homelessness

In November 2019, DHS estimated that 77% of adult families, 68% of single adults, and 53% of families with children sleeping in shelters had at least one disability. 

Unsheltered homeless people

Thousands of homeless people are unsheltered, meaning that they sleep on New York City streets, in the subway system, and in other public spaces.

No accurate measurement of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers

There is no accurate measurement of New York City’s unsheltered homeless population, and recent city surveys significantly underestimate the number of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers.

“Cleanups” to end unsheltered homelessness

From March 18 to May 1, 2022, the city carried out 733 cleanups across five boroughs, according to NPR. After engaging with 264 people, 39 of them accepted temporary housing.

NYPD officers and city sanitation services conduct the “cleanups”

The multi-agency initiative sends out NYPD officers and workers from the city's sanitation and homeless services departments to conduct the “cleanups”.

Unsheltered homeless people are given a 24-hour notice

Residents at the encampment sites are given a 24-hour notice for the scheduled cleanups, according to city officials. The sweeps have led to the arrests of homeless activists.

Advocates against “cleanups”

Homeless advocates call the encampment “cleanups” a massive waste of resources that could instead be used to address the critical needs of the homeless population.

Unsheltered homeless people have usually tried the shelter system before

“People who are on the streets, have often tried the city's main shelter system and did not feel safe there or did not feel that those facilities met their needs”, said Jacquelyn Simone, policy director at the NYC-based Coalition for the Homeless.

 
Forcing people into shelters isn’t the right way to go, advocates say

“So, trying to force people back into a shelter system that many have made a conscious decision to avoid is not going to be successful," Simone added.

The government isn’t addressing the root causes of homelessness

According to the expert, the government is taking the easy way out by sending police officers to “push homeless people out of sight” instead of actually addressing the root causes of homelessness.

A better solution: housing first

A good way to address the root causes of homelessness, according to experts, could be the ‘housing first’ policy.

What is ‘housing first’?

‘Housing first’ is a policy that offers unconditional, permanent housing as quickly as possible to homeless people; and afterwards offers other supportive services, such as a job, counseling and  therapy.

Stable housing is a primary need

Housing First’s approach is based on the concept that a homeless person or household's primary need is to obtain stable housing, and that other issues that may affect the household can and should be addressed once housing is obtained.

Housing first vs. Housing readiness

In contrast, traditional programs operate from a model of "housing readiness", that is, that an individual or household must address other issues that may have led to the episode of homelessness prior to entering housing, like addictions or mental illness.

Housing is just a piece of the puzzle

Nevertheless, experts say it’s important to consider that housing is just one piece of the puzzle that is the social crisis of homelessness in New York City.

Care that meets the individual needs of all homeless New Yorkers

“We need a continuum of care that meets the individual needs of all homeless New Yorkers,” writes Harriet Karr-McDonald, President of The Doe Fund, a non-profit organization whose mission is to break the cycles of poverty and homelessness.

Different needs for different people

“Whether it’s a single mother, an out-of-work man, someone exiting incarceration with nowhere to go, a person living with schizophrenia or battling addiction, and everyone in between,” she adds.

More and easier access to permanent housing

“That means more and easier access to permanent housing, but also more shelters and supportive services to help people stabilize and re-enter the community.”

Investments in marginalized communities

The expert also says that upstream investments are needed in marginalized communities to address the city’s vast racial and socioeconomic disparities.

Access to economic opportunity
Most important of all, for the largest segment of the homeless population, single adults who can work, it means access to economic opportunity: employment alongside workforce development training for careers that pay living wages”, the expert concludes.

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