-Caveat Lector- http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-nyc30.html
www.suntimes.com Back to regular view http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-nyc30.html Print this page New York City homeless population tops records November 30, 2002 BY ERIN MCCLAM NEW YORK--In the nation's largest city, a record number of people are homeless, sleeping each night in shelters and streets, on subway platforms and cathedral steps--and there are no easy solutions in sight. The slowing economy has led to jumps in homelessness across the nation, in places as disparate as Rhode Island and South Dakota. But in New York, struggling with the aftermath of terrorism, the effect has been particularly acute. On average, more than 37,000 people spend their nights in New York city shelters, the highest level on record. In 1998, city statistics show, the average was about 21,000. The number of homeless families sleeping in shelters has more than doubled over the same period, from 4,429 at the beginning of 1998 to 8,925 last month. And there are uncounted numbers of people who sleep outside. ''It's getting steadily worse out there,'' said James Inman, 54, as he finished Thanksgiving dinner at a Manhattan mission. ''All the shelters are full. It's tighter than it's ever been.'' The sluggish economy and rising rents have combined to produce higher homeless rates across the country, said Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The group puts the number of homeless people nationwide at 1 million. In Los Angeles, police made about 200 arrests on ''Skid Row'' this month after business people called for steps to combat homelessness. In Rhode Island, rising rents were blamed for a 45 percent increase in homeless children over the last three years. Sioux Falls, S.D., is estimated to have more homeless people than the populations of three- fourths of the towns in the state. In New York, dealing with Sept. 11 has aggravated the homeless situation in unexpected ways. Anti-terror patrols have sealed off out-of-the-way places--nooks in tunnels, bridge underpinnings, downtown alleys--where homeless people once sought shelter. ''The places where homeless folks have gone for cover are starting to be walled off,'' said Linda Gibbs, city commissioner of homeless services. ''It limits their options, and it forces them into the open.'' The situation is causing tension. An advocacy group sued the city this week, alleging police are sweeping the homeless off the streets by arresting them. Police acknowledge a jump in arrests, but say that is because officers simply have more contact with the homeless lately. Solutions are elusive. The city is pegging its hopes on a strategy adopted in June that focuses on making sure enough shelter space is available and aiming to get people into permanent housing. This winter, city social workers will conduct a homeless ''population survey'' to get a handle on how many people are sleeping on streets and where. Since taking office Jan. 1, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has boosted the number of permanent housing subsidies available to those in the city shelter system to 9,250--an increase of 110 percent. The city has also explored unusual options for shelter space, some of which homeless advocates have derided. This summer, a judge blocked the mayor's plan to use a former Bronx jail as a shelter. The city, bound by law to provide shelter, has also considered converting empty convents and community centers. AP Copyright � The Sun-Times Company All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance�not soap-boxing�please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'�with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds�is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
