One would assume that as long as you can hold a steady job and manage your money reasonably well, you should be able to afford a decent place to live. But for thousands of New Yorkers, it’s not that simple.
The New York Times detailed in a report how some people working steady jobs — making as much as $50,000 per year — are still forced to live in shelters instead of their own homes.
According to the report, about a third of the families living in New York City’s homeless shelters have at least one adult that goes to work. But a lack of affordable housing options in the city means that many of them are relegated to what the story refers to as “employment shelters,” facilities that are targeted to help people who work full-time and part-time jobs.
The feature takes a look at the routines and backstories of several people. One man had split time caring for his ailing mother while driving a taxi at night, but was kicked out of the house his late father purchased in 2023 after the COVID pandemic. A single mother of a toddler son, who works as a family advocate by day, lost her apartment after her mother had to move into a nursing home. Somehow, she makes too much money to qualify for food stamps.
Another man had spent years advancing through different positions as an employee of the Department of Recreation. After losing his longtime apartment in a fire and making too much money in the summer to qualify for one of the city’s housing vouchers, he took lesser pay as a fire guard. He’s now one of more than 10,000 people with housing vouchers who are actively looking for open apartments as the city’s vacancy rate is the lowest it’s been in 50 years.
Homelessness in New York City already impacts those dealing with mental illness and addiction. But this story paints a picture that shows the housing crisis is deeper than many realize.
“New York City is becoming more for the wealthy, and I don’t think that’s going to end well,” said Kuber Sancho-Persad, the taxi driver referenced above. “You know why? Poor people make this city go.”