Given the impacts of COVID-19, which have significantly increased unemployment, poverty rates & led to an exodus of cities, the amount of and proportion of homeless on the street has skyrocketed. In the early days of the crisis, the NYC Government was quite content to allow this in the name of maintaining social distancing and preventing mass spread in shelters. This issue became especially acute on the subway where the system became overrun and became a hazard for both the homeless & small amount of essential workers riding them. The MTA & City responded but thus far it appears to be a game of whack-a-mole where the City clears the homeless from one location only for them to congregate in another location (e.g. Occupy City Hall, Parks in Midtown). To its credit, the City has expanded sheltering efforts by contracting with hotels that would otherwise be closed — in spite of intense local opposition — but it has failed to make a dent in the underlying issues and I’ve noticed that the behavior of the homeless (aggressively panhandling in streets and in fast food restaurants) has disturbingly impacted local quality of life, particularly as they have been shoo’ed from the subways and their prospects riding empty trains have become much more limited. I also want to make clear that we need to make a distinction between the vast majority of homeless; those on hard times in the system trying to work their way out of poverty (who comprise those in the hotels which have been so maligned) & those who are persistently on the streets.

When formulating solutions, I think it’s important to set out basic guiding principles for goals before speaking to tactics or strategies:

• Street Homelessness should not be tolerated or accepted - In my travels, I’ve seen significant variances by City; typically it’s a local issue and somewhat of a left/right issue. Go out West and the homeless problem in San Francisco and other California cities is considerably worse than it ever has been in my memory in NYC. Sadly it seems (or perhaps the NY Post wants you to think) when a Democrat is in City Hall in NY, there is more street homelessness than when there is a Republican. It shouldn't be and it doesn’t excuse harsh tactics by the police or others to forcibly remove the homeless without viable alternatives. But it’s critical that we view or streets, parks & benches as public goods. When the homeless occupy them, they deny rights of use to everyone else. Furthermore, panhandling & squeegee activities on vehicles in which day-to-day life for commuters must be outlawed.

• We need to be fair & humane in treatment of everyone in need, especially the homeless - Just because the homeless can’t be allowed to be on the streets doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be treated with dignity & respect. In most cases, those who are homeless have due to no fault on their own and need help, whether in the form of welfare, shelter, food, drug or mental health treatment and we should over invest in service provision to help those in need. Furthermore, charities focusing on homeless services and food pantries deserve our support, especially now. I personally find it better to give to a local pantry and direct a local panhandler to them instead of giving to the homeless directly. You shouldn’t have to feel like you need to give someone money if you know they have options to get a decent hot meal.

• Homeless shelters must be clean, safe & accessible to all. And for those who don’t want to be in shelters, transitional & alternative programs must be provided to reduce their populations and help those in need on their way to improvement.

Some policy prescriptions that I’ve formulated in my mind when homeless outreach teams interact with the homeless:

• Anyone who doesn’t want to be here should be given assistance with leaving, irrespective of destination - The Bloomberg Administration took a lot of heat for “outsourcing” the problem by pushing one-way bus tickets, but fundamentally if someone doesn’t want to be here and doesn’t have the means to go somewhere else, this is the easiest solution. Rather than giving someone a bus ticket and a few bucks however, the City should also engage with the municipality of destination to inform them of arrival and ensure they’re greeted and assisted with transportation to their intended destination, even if a local shelter rather than being dropped off at a bus station and left to fed for themselves

• When the authorities encounter the homeless all services must be offered holistically - The City has proven very effective at opening new businesses or shutting down those that are problematic by coordinating across multiple agencies. Access NYC has proven effective at pulling together a single eligibility process for human services in the City but it’s unclear how widely it’s been adopted. Equipping front-line staff with the technology to identify individuals, enroll them in services and getting them help at point of need would accelerate the ability to help those in need quickly & effectively. Mental health & drug addiction problems are huge in the homeless population and must be at the core of solving the problem

• The homeless should be given multiple options - Though I don’t claim to be an expert in the process, the homeless should be given the option of the nearest shelter, other shelters in the area, or vouchers to find their own place to stay. Respecting the right of individuals while mandating that the streets are not an option would help. It is also critical that the City balance the homeless populations so we don’t inundate neighborhoods with homeless form outside the community

• Mandate shelter — When in doubt, the City must open shelters where homeless would be taken (and their belongings respected) if they refuse to leave the streets or insist upon returning. The City has relaxed rules when there is extreme weather and these policies should be more the norm than the exception. Based upon the severity and repeat nature of the matter, having clean & safe facilities without the option for the homeless to leave without a plan for settlement would provide a necessary option to first responders when all other options have been exhausted

The thorniest issue that continues to bedevil policy makers and the public is what to do when someone refuses services & refuses to leave. Ultimately I think Homeless Services needs an enforcement mandate backed be legal protections to force the homeless & their belongings from their location of choice. Repeat offenders must face the option of involuntary confinement if necessary with police involved as a last resort.