OK, so I told myself I wouldn't bombard my blog with posts when the thing isn't even up and running yet, but I had to share this. Apparently, New York City is going to start charging the homeless to stay in the shelter system. That's right folks! Finally those bastards really responsible for the financial mess we're in are going to pay. Forget the Wall Street fat cats, crooked politicians and sinister lobbyists. It's about time someone focused political energy on squeezing every last penny out of those who are truly at fault: the poorest and most vulnerable citizens in our society.
Having worked in some of Boston's busiest homeless shelters as an AmeriCorps member, I find this idea absolutely disgusting. Anyone familiar with how the shelter system works knows that charging guests is an impractical and thoughtless idea that will benefit no one. Let's not pretend these people are coasting down easy street with free room and board. Shelter life is far from ideal and should be seen as a necessary evil, not a handout. And for those who are employed and homeless, looking for permanent housing is a full time job without having to fork over part of your meager paycheck just to live in what is basically the most undesirable environment imaginable. What an insult. Enforcing this short-sighted law will only make it harder for the homeless to find housing and further crowd NYC's shelters. Furthermore, the revenue generated will be minute at best and certainly not worth the hardships it will cause to countless homeless men and women who depend on the shelter system.
I guess this law has been around since 1997 but no one has tried to impose it until now. I know quick and easy revenue streams have always been popular with politicians looking to point to success near election time, but this is a new low. Why should our most vulnerable population, people who were struggling far before the Great Recession hit, have to bear the brunt of an economic downturn that was largely caused by those at the opposite end of the socioeconomic spectrum? Surely there are better ways for the city and state of New York to make a quick buck. I'll take the soda tax over this crap any day.
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You must be doing something right GB. Pamela D. Hart is following you. She doesn't follow me.
ReplyDeleteI'll add you to the blogroll.
Oh yeah. The homeless. Tragedy. Despicable. And all the other adjectives. They need a hand. Not a handout. Hundreds of thousands of abandoned homes across America and they're boarded up instead of providing a home.
Where to begin? This is like reading a Charles Dickens novel. Can people be this heartless and cynical? Well yes, obviously.
ReplyDeleteI'm really depressed after reading this.
BTW, I do not qualify to participate on this blog since no one would characterize me as "young." But I will recommend it to all the young people in my family who share your values--as do I.
I've added you to my blog roll.
And good for Pam for being here. She's a smart, compassionate person--we don't agree politically, but I respect her ability to disagree with class and intelligence.
Thanks for the sentiments guys. I'm new at this, so the encouragement is helpful. So far so good.
ReplyDeleteJudge, come to Albany NY- the number of perfectly usable yet boarded up houses is appalling.
Also, for Shaw, I like to think of Young Politics as meaning young at heart...so all are welcome.
Thanks again.
I'm not young either, but what the hey, y'know? :)
ReplyDeleteGood job, GB. Someone told me recently not to post on anything local, that it would just put people to sleep. Personally, I find that posting on local issues ends up being among my most popular pieces. Maybe because it reminds everyone that there are stupidity quakes of 10 on the richter scale all over america right now. Charging the homeless to stay in a pit of a shelter in NYC is definitely at least a 8 on the scale. Honestly, what do people think those places are, Hilton Jr.'s?
You'll find yourself on my blogroll (for what that's worth... :)
The Beekeeper's Apprentice
Charging the homeless for shelter is like telling the poor to eat cake.
ReplyDeleteOne wonders if they will bring in enough money to cover the costs of charging. Figuring out who should pay, calculating the sliding scale, keeping track of who's paid and who needs to be dunned -- all of that costs money, even if it's only in the form of clerical workers' time. I wouldn't be surprised if charging the homeless actually costs more money than it brings in.
ReplyDeleteGB I heard this on my local news last week. They have stated a charge as high as 900.00 a month! That's insane! The right considers collecting welfare, unemployment, living in a homeless shelter,hand outs from government to lazy good for nothing slobs. It's just another way to punish those who are not privileged to live their life of wealth and leisure. The poor, homeless, unemployed do not live high on the hog, eating bon bons while watching soap operas all day. Some people are just heartless....
ReplyDeleteGB: Truth can be a big jokster! He's on my blogroll, however, I did check and through some oversight, I wasn't "following" him, I corrected that.
ReplyDeleteAs far as "charging" the homeless, without researching this I'm going to say I don't think that's realistic. I mean they are "homeless", doesn't that kinda mean "broke"?
I cant believe this...... what is this country coming to when those with out have to pay for the mistake of those with. The homeless live in shelter because they dont have money to pay for housing not for the wonderfully luxurious accomidations. I guess the homeless are an untapped revenue stream. They prob saw all the money they spend on cigaretts and booze and thought...hey they do have money to give us.... This is crazy
ReplyDelete=D saw your advertisement on facebook. this is interesting and i agree with you totally... though if it does happen, i wonder if the homeless population will increase in the neighboring states
ReplyDeletePamela- it makes you think how much research NYC did into the cost and benefits of charging the homeless. If they did any at all, maybe they would have realized that forcing them into even less stable situations is probably not a good idea. Either it will increase the number of unemployed homeless in NYC or, like Suzy said, could possibly create a migration of homeless men and women all over the northeast, as NYC contains the region's largest homeless population. Either way, terrible results from a terrible law.
ReplyDeleteIs this a done deal?? If it really is true, the people of N.Y. should be up in arms & the people responsible for carrying it out should be absolutely ashamed!!!!
ReplyDeleteJust in case anyone's interested...it appears NYC isn't as stupid as I thought. Bloomberg just announced the city will abandon its plan to charge the homeless rent to stay in shelters. Instead, he and a few State Senators are proposing an idea that would require homeless families with an income (which is far from a huge part of the homeless population) to put a percentage of their earnings into a savings account only accessible once they are out of the shelter system.
ReplyDeleteThis plan sounds creative and has the potential to be effective in keeping the working homeless out of the shelter system. Instead of using the homeless to make a quick buck, the city is using its deserved reimbursement powers (after all, shelters are a public service) to encourage the homeless to save for the future, which is directly correlated to them staying out of the shelter system. This idea could actually help prevent the revolving door of homelessness and also save the city a little revenue by alleviating shelter costs. Two birds, one stone.
See what happens when rational minds prevail?