According to the latest data released by the city government, at least 815 homeless people will die in the city in fiscal year 2022, a record high. Nearly half of the deaths are related to drug overdose, and at least 78 people died outdoors. However, Gary Jenkins, director of the Municipal Homeless Services Bureau, announced his resignation a few days ago, making the management of the already chaotic homeless system even worse.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of homeless deaths in New York City has been increasing year by year; according to statistics from the City’s Homeless Services Bureau and the Department of Health, in fiscal year 2022 from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022, the number of homeless deaths in fiscal year 2021 is higher than that in fiscal year 2021. The number of homeless deaths in fiscal year 2021 also hit a record high at that time; moreover, the number of homeless deaths in the city in fiscal year 2022 is four times that of fiscal year 2012.
The current homeless crisis is serious, and the large influx of asylum seekers has thrown the city’s homeless management into chaos. Jenkins, director of the City’s Homeless Services Bureau, announced his resignation on the 7th, only about a year after he took office; however, Jenkins said that New York City’s homeless management has not changed. In the confusion, he also said that his departure was pre-arranged and expressed his joy to have the opportunity to serve as the director of the Bureau of Homeless Services after 36 years.
Jenkins did not disclose the next step; city spokesman Kate Smart said that after Jenkins formally resigned on March 3, Molly Park, deputy director of the Homeless Services Bureau, will take over as interim director.
In New York City, rents soared last year, coupled with the failure of the eviction ban, the number of homeless people increased sharply; data show that during the Jenkins period, the number of homeless people in the city exceeded 70,000, a record high; at the same time, tens of thousands of asylum seekers last spring Since then, the influx into New York City has caused the number of homeless people in New York City to continue to soar; and last August, when the asylum crisis was brewing, Jenkins fled to Mexico for vacation, and Adams defended him at the time.
In addition, the lack of staff in the Homeless Service Bureau has also exacerbated management failure. According to the report of the City Comptroller, 20% of the vacancies in the Homeless Service Bureau were unfilled in December last year; Due to insufficient manpower, a large number of people failed to receive food stamps on time, leading to lawsuits.
However, Adams still has a positive evaluation of Jenkins; he said that the Homeless Service Bureau under Jenkins has provided historic support for homeless homeless people, allowing more than 1,100 homeless people living in the subway to move into homeless shelters and inviting homeless people Together, those who experienced it helped shape the city’s housing and homelessness programs

Worldjournal

Tags：Homeless