Annotated Bibilography

Daniel Metropolitan

ENGL135: Advanced Composition

Prof. Sally Urban

September 28, 2020

An Annotated Bibliography on Solving the Problem of Homelessness in New York City

How is it that in the greatest city on Earth so many people do not have a place to call home? An average of 60,000 people, about two thirds of them families and children, are sleeping each night in the city’s homeless shelters in the current fiscal year (New York City Department of Homeless Services, 2020). This statistic does not even take into account the many thousands of unsheltered homeless in New York City. The homeless come from all parts of the city and include people of all races, gender identities, and sexual orientations. Not surprisingly, however, homelessness tends to impact racial minorities, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with substance addictions, and people battling mental illness. According to the Coalition for the Homeless, there are numerous causes of homelessness, but the largest single factor is a lack of affordable housing. As such, the solution will focus on providing more affordable housing in New York City.

Baker, Homelessness in New York City

Baker (2017) reviews Thomas Main’s 2016 Homelessness in New York City: Policymaking from Koch to de Blasio. Baker identifies three major themes in homeless policies in New York City from the Ed Koch era of the 1980s through the current leadership of Bill de Blasio: entitlement, paternalism, and post-paternalism. The era of entitlement is associated with the Koch administration, when policies were created based on the idea that housing was a basic right. Under David Dinkins, entitlement gave way to paternalism, as access to housing was made contingent on participating in drug treatment or work programs. The post-paternal era is associated with Michael Bloomberg, who enacted a housing first program aimed at getting homeless people out of the shelter system and into permanent housing.

One of the most interesting points that Baker discusses, and one that is relevant to my essay, is Main’s perversity thesis, which is essentially a variation on the concept of moral hazard, which is rooted in behaviorism. In a nutshell, the perversity thesis is based on the fear that providing homeless people, particularly those with long-term substance abuse problems, with permanent housing encourages people to become homeless just to take advantage of the program. Even if the program is effective, critics argue, it just seems unfair that it appears to reward bad behavior.

Burton, String calls affordable housing overhaul vital for New York City

Burton (2020) outlines New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer’s proposal to provide additional affordable housing. Stringer, who previously served as Manhattan Borough President, is generally considered to be a leading candidate mayoral candidate for 2021, when Bill de Blasio’s term ends. According to Burton, Stringer’s housing proposal consists of two main features: a universal requirement of 25% affordable housing units on all new developments and elimination of the 421-a tax subsidy, which Stringer believes is wasteful and counterproductive.

Because my main solution to the homelessness problem is the creation of more affordable housing, this article is highly relevant to my essay. According to the article, de Blasio and Stringer are at odds over the 421-a tax subsidy. Mayor de Blasio believes 421-a encourages development in underdeveloped areas, whereas Stringer cites a study showing that developers have been substantially overpaid by the program. I will need to look into this issue more closely to determine who is right, but the universal 25% affordable housing requirement is worthy of serious consideration.

Coalition for the Homeless, Why are so many people homeless?

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, homelessness has persisted in New York City primarily due to the failures of state and local leaders. The Coalition is highly critical of Mayor Bill de Blasio as well as Governor Andrew Cuomo. Mayor de Blasio is faulted for policies that have led to an increase in the number of homeless people living in city shelters, and Governor Cuomo is criticized for failing to work together with the mayor, instead engaging in political one-upmanship.

This article shows that although both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo claim to care about the homeless and want to provide solutions, their actions do not match their rhetoric. New Yorkers must demand that their elected leaders take meaningful action. Part of my call to action is to ask readers to get involved by contacting their local leaders, and this article supports the idea that politicians need to do more.

New York City Department of Homeless Services, stats and reports

The New York City Department of Homeless Services stats and reports page features data dashboard charts from 2012–2020. The charts provide information on the average total number of homeless people sleeping city shelters, broken down by race, age, families, children, and single adults. The charts show a growth in the number of homeless people living in shelters over the years, though it does not specifically mention if this is due to a growth in the total number of homeless people, an increase in the capacity of homeless shelters, or both.

These reports are highly relevant to my essay, in that they establish the problem of homelessness in New York City. Furthermore, they show that the problem is getting worse and will most likely continue to do so unless something is done about it.

Sweeney, The poor among us

Sweeney (2015) provides an in-depth review of The poor among us: A history of family poverty and homelessness in New York City, written by Ralph da Costa Nunez and Ethan G. Sribnick in 2013. The book traces the history of poverty and homelessness in New York City from colonial times through the Great Recession of 2008. Sweeney notes that strategies of dealing with homelessness are rooted in social theories. For example, Sweeney mentions that in the late 1800s it was common for children in New York City to be removed from their homeless parents based on the assumption that homelessness was essentially a moral failing. More recently, welfare reform laws took aim at the dependency supposedly created by programs aimed at helping the homeless.

Although the article was written in 2015, in reference to a book published in 2013, the source is still relevant and useful given that its primary intent is to provide a historical overview of the problem of homelessness in New York City. The most useful point that Sweeney makes is that homeless policies are often based on misguided notions of who the homeless are and why they are homeless in the first place. It is important to deal with these misconceptions.

References