How the homicide of a homeless man in New York’s subway exposed a city’s crisis

Neely’s death comes at a moment when New York City continues to deal with a growing population of unhoused people and a mental health crisis.

Residents at the encampment sites are given a 24-hour notice for the scheduled cleanups, according to city officials. The sweeps have led to the arrests of homeless activists.

“People who are on the streets, have often tried the city's main shelter system and did not feel safe there or did not feel that those facilities met their needs”, said Jacquelyn Simone, policy director at the NYC-based Coalition for the Homeless.

“So, trying to force people back into a shelter system that many have made a conscious decision to avoid is not going to be successful," Simone added.

According to the expert, the government is taking the easy way out by sending police officers to “push homeless people out of sight” instead of actually addressing the root causes of homelessness.

A good way to address the root causes of homelessness, according to experts, could be the ‘housing first’ policy.

‘Housing first’ is a policy that offers unconditional, permanent housing as quickly as possible to homeless people; and afterwards offers other supportive services, such as a job, counseling and  therapy.

Housing First’s approach is based on the concept that a homeless person or household's primary need is to obtain stable housing, and that other issues that may affect the household can and should be addressed once housing is obtained.

In contrast, traditional programs operate from a model of "housing readiness", that is, that an individual or household must address other issues that may have led to the episode of homelessness prior to entering housing, like addictions or mental illness.

Nevertheless, experts say it’s important to consider that housing is just one piece of the puzzle that is the social crisis of homelessness in New York City.

“We need a continuum of care that meets the individual needs of all homeless New Yorkers,” writes Harriet Karr-McDonald, President of The Doe Fund, a non-profit organization whose mission is to break the cycles of poverty and homelessness.

“Whether it’s a single mother, an out-of-work man, someone exiting incarceration with nowhere to go, a person living with schizophrenia or battling addiction, and everyone in between,” she adds.

“That means more and easier access to permanent housing, but also more shelters and supportive services to help people stabilize and re-enter the community.”

The expert also says that upstream investments are needed in marginalized communities to address the city’s vast racial and socioeconomic disparities.