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Building The Beacon Begins With Understanding Homelessness: A ​​Shift In Perspective

By Xiao Liu, Volunteer Blog Writer at Mentor A Promise   Photo Credit: P - stock.adobe.com Before we discuss homelessness as a social issue, I’d like to share two personal stories. The Man At The Traffic Light: What We Don’t See About Homelessness One day, my husband and I were driving — I was in the passenger seat — when we stopped at a red light. He pointed to the rearview mirror and said, “Did you see that? A man just got out of that beautiful red muscle car with a sign saying he needs money.” I followed his gaze, but the man quickly disappeared from the mirror. “See?” my husband continued. “He’s over there now, standing on the traffic island, panhandling.” I saw the man, wearing a leather jacket that wasn’t tattered, holding and shaking his sign. From time to time, he pulled the jacket tighter—it looked like it once had a zipper, but the pull was missing. “This guy’s lying,” my husband muttered. “He’s pretending to be homeless.” “Hey,” I said, “do you know what couch surfing is...
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Why Is Homelessness Worse Than It's Ever Been in New York?

  Photo Credit: Inam - stock.adobe.com Wherever you go in this city, you are bound to see one or more members of the dispossessed. As heart-breaking as this sight may be, the homelessness crisis is much worse. Most of those experiencing homelessness in the United States don’t actually live on the streets. Instead, they live doubled, tripled, quadrupled up in the homes of family or friends, crammed into one of New York City’s countless shelters or surreptitiously residing in places not designated for human habitation. This blog post will discuss why homelessness is worse than it’s ever been in New York and what may be done about it. Is New York City Failing?  Given the levels of homelessness and extreme poverty in the United States at large and its largest city in particular, one might assume that New York City is failing. But that’s not quite true. Though his book chronicles the trials and tribulations of five Black families in metro Atlanta, the truths Brian Goldstone reveale...
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How Does New York City's Voucher System Work?

  Photo Credit: dechevm - stock.adobe.com In many ways, the homelessness crisis in America is akin to a hydra: Cut off one avenue and two more pop up in its place. One way our city tries to turn the tide of homelessness is through its voucher program. This blog post will discuss how New York City’s voucher system works and whether it will ever meet the needs of those experiencing homelessness.  What Is New York City’s Voucher System?  Also known as Section 8, the Housing Choice Voucher program, created through the passage of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1978, provides eligible low- and middle-income families with rent subsidies to limit the percentage of their income spent on housing in the private market. A family’s gross annual income and size factor into their eligibility. A typical recipient will spend no more than 40 percent of their income on rent and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) will cover the rest.  To retain their Section 8 vou...
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Is There A Link Between Homelessness and Incarceration?

  Photo Credit: Dabarti - stock.adobe.com While these blog posts have endeavored to illustrate that those experiencing homelessness are people like any of us - and, thus, no more dangerous than the average New Yorker - it can’t be denied that a disproportionate percentage of this unfortunate population has frequent run-ins with law enforcement. And so, this blog post will discuss the link between homelessness in New York City and rates of incarceration.  What Is The Relationship Between Homelessness and Incarceration?  Once again, the authors of this blog post wish to reiterate that homeless New Yorkers are more likely to be the victims of crime rather than the perpetrators. Likewise, many laws are purposefully designed to discriminate against them, thereby creating a hostile environment.  Nevertheless, these two conditions contribute to a cyclical and symbiotic negative feedback loop. Prior encounters with the legal system will increase one’s likelihood of becoming ...
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How Do Other Countries Address Their Homelessness Crises?

  Photo Credit: stringerphoto - stock.adobe.com According to data compiled by World Population Review , 65 million people experience homelessness worldwide, a figure larger than most countries. While each nation has its own unique housing-related problems, some techniques may be applicable elsewhere. In this blog post, we will discuss how some other countries have addressed their homelessness crises and how their strategies may be applied in the United States.  Which Countries Have Most Successfully Addressed Their Homelessness Crises?  The two countries most frequently cited as successfully addressing their homelessness crises are Japan and Finland. The former has a national population of over 125 million, yet the number of residents experiencing homelessness is less than four thousand. [ 1 ] The latter, a significantly less populous country, is the only nation in the European Union to have experienced a decline in homelessness in the last ten years. [ 2 ]  How Have...
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How Will The New York Mayoral Candidates Address Homelessness?

  Photo Credit: EAKEAK - stock.adobe.com  At Mentor A Promise and its network of partner organizations, we maintain complete political neutrality and, thus, will serve the city’s less fortunate regardless of whether they lean right or left, occupy a middle ground or have no political opinions whatsoever. That said, in this blog post, we will lay out, without fear or favor, how each of the four remaining New York City mayoral candidates plans to address homelessness in the United States’ largest city.  How Does Zohran Mamdani Plan to Address Homelessness in New York City?  Because he views homelessness as a symptom of greater societal inequality, Mr. Mamdani champions housing first policies. If elected, according to his platform, he will strengthen the city’s right to shelter decree and promote permanent supportive housing. Through proposed municipal bonds, activation of city-owned land and buildings and pooled rental assistance, he hopes to fund the following: ...
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How Does Race Factor Into Homelessness?

  Photo Credit: melita - stock.adobe.com While the United States is slowly becoming a multicultural nation, it has not yet become a so-called majority minority society. That is to say that people of color still do not comprise 50.1 percent or more of the population. It is true that, as of 2020, that non-Hispanic whites make up 50.1 percent of the homeless population, while making up 61.6 percent of the U.S. population. However, it cannot be denied that some demographics are overrepresented in this unfortunate cohort. This blog post will explore how race factors into homelessness, why that might be the case and how this might be counteracted.  Does Race Play a Factor in Homelessness?  Non-Hispanic whites, those of Asian descent and those of mixed ancestry are the only cohorts whose share of the national population exceed their share of the homeless population.  Conversely, non-Hispanic black people make up 12.4 percent of the overall population, but 37.4 percent of th...
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