Homelessness in New York

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Homelessness is when a person does not have a permanent location to call home. People who live in evacuation centers, transitional housing, or non-habitable spaces fall into this category—homelessness in New York City's most serious social issue. “Approximately 1 in every 106 New Yorkers is homeless, amounting to nearly 80,000 men, women, and children in a metropolis of more than 8.3 million people. Due to a lack of cheap accommodation and the difficulties of finding work, about 2400 individuals reside in the streets, subways, and other public spaces every night "(The Bowery Mission, 2021). The governing authority, community members, and non-profit-making organizations (NPOs) at large have taken interagency measures to mitigate the problem of homelessness.

Nonprofit organizations have been at the forefront of assisting the homeless in New York by harnessing donations from well-wishers in the community. "The Bowery Mission, Ali Forney Centre, Women in Need, BronxWorks, Coalition for the Homeless, The Doe Fund, Partnership for the Homeless, and Picture the Homeless are just a few of the organizations involved" (Plim, 2020). These organizations assist the homeless in finding long-term homes. Food, shelter, and clothing are also provided by the organizations and free medication, educational programs, and job aid. The Women in Need (WiN) program offers the most help, with approximately 400 housing units dedicated to providing family refuge and supportive housing. The Doe Fund helps formerly homeless and jailed people become self-sufficient by assisting them in finding permanent housing and gaining the skills they need to return to employment. During two-hour sessions, volunteers conduct interviews, following which they provide feedback to the Doe Fund's Culinary Arts Program leadership. Picture the Homeless, which is run by local homeless people, campaigns for housing affordability and civil liberties by providing free community action and organizational training.

The City of New York administration offers a variety of housing supports and initiatives to prevent homelessness. "These programs include providing refuge for the homeless, building supportive housing, and providing other vital services to stabilize housing situations and enhance self-sufficiency. Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP), as well as a variety of support services programs for homeless and at-risk families and individuals, such as the Solutions to End Homelessness Program (STEHP), New York State Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Program (HOPWA), Emergency Needs for the Homeless Program (ENHP), Operational Support for AIDS Survivors (OSASS), and Operational Support for AIDS Survivors (OSASS) (ESSHI)” (New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, 2021). Citizens facing eviction, harassment, disrepair, and other housing-related difficulties can get free legal representation, guidance, and additional legal help via the judiciary. The OCJ is putting New York Metropolis's historic right-to-counsel law into effect, making it the first and most significant metropolis in the country to provide free legal advice to tenants facing eviction. OCJ offers free legal assistance through collaborations with contracted nonprofit legal services organizations.

To curb the problem of homelessness, it takes the inter-agency collaboration of different stakeholders in the community. These organizations include both government and nonprofit organizations. Efficient programs need to be initiated to help the homeless secure affordable shelter and protect all tenants in the city from unjust eviction.

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