NYC Shelter Changes: Necessary Evil? Or Just Plain Evil?

by Shannon Moriarty · 2009-06-28 17:59:00 UTC
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Despite a 2004 pledge to dramatically reduce homelessness, the number of homeless families in New York City is at an all time high.

To address the problem, city officials are seeking approval for a new set of policies to shorten the length of time families utilize the city's shelter system, including financial incentives for shelters and stricter shelter rules and regulations. While many recognize the need to free up shelter space for the influx of clients, others question the approach of "evicting" families and children who have nowhere else to go.

Under the new rules, nonprofit organizations contracted through the city will provide shelter beds at a rate of about $100/day. After a family has been in shelter for six months, the daily rate decreases, giving shelters an incentive to move that family out of the shelter before they can get comfortable.

The proposed changes also include stricter shelter rules, with more serious consequences for non-compliance, including being ejected from the shelter. According to the NY Times, the new rules are necessary to provide incentives for both homeless families and shelters to tighten up the process:

"The thing that we have been trying to introduce is a greater expectation of accountability, both by the providers and by the clients themselves," Linda I. Gibbs, the deputy mayor for health and human services, said in an interview. "We want them to overcome homelessness more quickly. We believe they are in shelter far longer than they need to be."

But moving families through the shelter system comes at a cost. One that may worsen the very problems the city is trying to address. Again, the NY Times:

Christy Parque, the executive director of Homeless Services United, a coalition of more than 60 providers, said that further reductions "could result in an increased length of stay in shelter, because there will be fewer staff and resources to help clients address their problems and return to the community quickly."

Advocates for the homeless called the city's plans mean-spirited, and warned that they would threaten the safety of families, especially children, forced to leave the shelter with no place to go.

Certainly, nobody envies the decision NYC shelter officials are having to make to meet the demand.

On the other hand, try being a single mother in a shelter trying to rebuilt a financially stable life for your family. Now, add a time limit to the equation.

[Photo from the NY Times: "Tina Rodriguez, 23, has been in a shelter with her son since September. The number of families in city shelters has increased in recent years."]

Shannon Moriarty has worked in various homeless shelters and service organizations around the country. She is a graduate student studying housing and urban policy at Tufts University.
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