New York City’s Homeless Population Is About to Hit 60,000

By Jonah Shepp

The number of New Yorkers sleeping in homeless shelters is at a record high, and will likely surpass 60,000 in the coming days: a grim commentary on the failure of the city’s efforts to combat homelessness.

According to the Daily News, the city officially counted 59,948 individuals in its more than 600 homeless shelters Wednesday night. Of these, 23,600 are children, The Wall Street Journal adds, noting that the total has risen steeply from 50,689 when Mayor Bill de Blasio took office in 2014, and from about 57,600 just a few months ago.

City officials insist the total would be even higher — around 67,000, they estimate — without the new anti-homelessness programs the de Blasio administration has put in place like rental assistance and legal aid.

Click here for the full article.

Source: New York Magazine (via The Empire Report)