Have you ever seen a homeless person out on the street or under a building? Do you walk past them without a second glance? It happens on a daily basis, but have you ever taken a moment to think about a homeless person you’ve seen out in New York City. Take a moment to think about the situation they might be in. Did you know that roughly 500,000 people in New York City are homeless? Homelessness is a huge problem in New York City, so how do we stop it? What are the actions we can take?
There are many reasons someone can be homeless, such as violence, health issues, money issues, orphanage, and numerous others. According to council.nyc.gov, homelessness has increased in jaw-dropping ways. It is a critical problem in New York City especially. Specifically stating, “Homelessness is a national problem that has reached a crisis level in New York City.” But why? So many people and children in New York City are homeless, but why is it that the numbers are so high in New York City specifically? According to a website called chalkbeat.org, homelessness is a major problem throughout the five boroughs due to rising house and rent costs. Simply speaking, the house costs are rising, so some people unfortunately cannot afford to pay them.
Another reason we should stop homelessness is due to the amount of people that are suffering. According to a site called ‘bowery.org’, one in every 83 people are homeless. More than 4,000 people are living unsheltered in subway stations or on the streets. Out of the 8.3 million people living in New York City, 200,000 men, 5,000 women, and 59,000 families are homeless. That’s a really big amount right? Hundreds of people have researched the effect that poverty has on children. Experts state that growing up in poverty may trouble a child’s brain development and affect their social and emotional growth. Homelessness has affected children in many ways too. The number of children living in homeless shelters has surpassed 100,000 in 2022-2023.
Homelessness is a huge problem in New York City, so how do we stop it? What actions can we take? Some of the solutions to solving homelessness are:
Donate to local homeless shelters near your area! Donate food, blankets, or money.
Support local organizations working to stop homelessness, for example, The Bowery Mission has served homeless and hungry New Yorkers since the 1870s.
Help local schools. According to experts, roughly 119,000 students have experienced homelessness in 2022 in New York alone. Schools can support children by giving them education, and food.
In conclusion, homelessness is a very serious problem in New York. Many organizations are working to stop it. We as kids can also take simple actions, such as noticing a homeless person on the streets. So whenever you see a homeless person, think about what you can do to make their day a bit better.