Instead of addressing the report that found a record number of homeless people in shelters, Mayor Bloomberg insulted the report's authors. He conveniently ignored the fact that they used his data. Should we be surprised?

A report released today by the Coalition for the Homeless found an average of 50,000 people slept in City-run shelters each night in January. That number included 21,000 children, and represented a 19% increase over last year. The analysis of data from the Department of Homeless Services also found the average length of stay for a homeless family is now more than a year. The report does not take into account those who live on the streets.

The Coalition for the Homeless goes on to blame the "failed policies" of Mayor Bloomberg for the spike in homelessness. The Mayor responded that cuts in State and federal funding are partly responsible, and the advocacy group "is not a reputable organization." What do you say?

What's your reaction to the average number of people living in homeless shelters in January? Why do you think more New Yorkers are relying on the shelter system? Has the Bloomberg administration improved these services or failed in his pledge to reduce homelessness by two-thirds?

Send your thoughts using the link above.

Surprising it's not a higher number. No jobs, pay cuts, businesses going under, rents too high, food too high, MTA ripoff, etc etc etc what does anyone expect ? Living is only for CEO's ? Shame How The City Was Brought To This.

Esmerelda, East Village, NYC

Hi John,

None of this surprises me. The mayor should be forced to spend one night in a shelter just to see how it feels to be at the mercy of an agency who may or may not have your best interest at heart.

You can be sure that as the 13th wealthiest person in the world and his self touted philanthropic works he has not found it necessary to contribute one red cent to this blight on his watch. Let's not forget the closing of St. Vincent's Hospital- which he could have saved in a New York minute... but chose housing for the wealthy in it's place.

If the matter concerns the working people, the working poor, the underprivileged, the helpless, the homeless the unemployed- than you can be sure that his interests lie elsewhere.

I didn't realize his hands could actually reach behind him to keep patting himself on the back...but he does manage to do this.

Marie
Bay Ridge

More and more New Yorkers are relying on the shelter system because they've been priced out of the rental and real estate markets. Additionally, so many people lost their homes during the Hurricane and many of them (most of them) could not afford the mortgage on the flooded out or destroyed home, as well as pay rent somewhere else. There was not enough done for all the people who have lost their homes because of job loss and/or the Hurricane.

Jessica
Arden Heights

John,

Bloomberg doesn't make mistakes. Ask him. He'll tell you that he doesn't.
Any mistake in NYC government is made by someone else.

Joe
Port Richmond, SI

Homelessness is big business for those who get kickbacks. Its a vicious cycle.

Jimmy.
The Bronx

I feel with this administration they do not care about the homeless. The Bloomberg administration is worried about moving young, successful individuals in the city. Take a look at Bloomberg's income, it is steadily going up; while people are losing jobs and their homes.

Maurice from Washington Heights

If rent would stop rising and people and find and keep his job, people would not have to stay long in shelters.

Jessica, from Harlem.

Hi John,

How much longer do we have to put up with this Mayor in name only? He gets involved with to many unnecessary projects that just satisfy his whims such as visible projects if you will and in the meantime the Homeless should have been considered more so than any of his foolish projects that had no meaning to many of us. I NOTICE THAT HE IS PLAYING THE BLAME ONCE AGAIN AS USUAL !! The numbers posted are just outrageous and very disheartening/scary at the same time. We are living in uneasy times and any one of us could be in this predicament without any warning. It's just a shame and I do commend the people that care for them. To me it is such a kind thing to do as many of us could not do so. All of this especially the children is just like it's being ignored and so as we have mentioned many times before that this Mayor is completely out of touch once again.

Thank you John,
maxxiee
mp

Instead of Seth Diamond attacking a great advocate, Coalition for the Homeless, he need to explain why he and the Mayor have failed in their administration's biggest campaign promise - cutting down on homeless. Merely saying he hasn't gotten a "numerical reduction" doesn't explain why he has failed.

Nick
Harlem

I am now seeing the burgeoning homeless on the streets and subways the way it was back in the 1970's, before Mayor Ed Koch built hundreds affordable housing units for low and middle income residents, which is what we need now. He was the last mayor who did anything for the 99% Meanwhile, the city is sitting on endless vacant lots and vacant buildings which could be developed for homeless people - many of whom simply lost their jobs and never recovered. How can you expect Bloomberg, just declared the 13th richest man on earth by Forbes, to understand any of this? His public policy on homelessness is just more empty grandstanding.

Gretchen -- UWS

When the advantage program was on the table the shelter system was a revolving door. People came and they were able to get out with the help if advantage. Now that advantage is no more that door is one way now. If there is nothing to offer these residents how are they suppose to leave the shelter system. Government needs to step in and do something about it because its only going to get worse with the direction the economy is going. There is no option for the homeless but to be homeless. Change has to happen.

Candy from Brooklyn

It is true that the Coalition did go to Albany and lobbied for the ending of the Advantage program, because they wanted Section 8 and NYCHA…this is verifiable. NYC lost a ton of support in the Coalition's effort to get more federal funds. Unfortunately, they lost us what help we are getting.

P.A.

Mike Bloombucks is so full of it.When he first ran for the mayors office, he promised, (note the wording folks), LOW INCOME AFFORDABLE HOUSING. By his second term and his purchased term, the wording became just AFFORDABLE HOUSING. New buildings have fancy names rather than street addresses. They're called luxury condos or luxury rentals. Yeah. Affordable for Bloombucks, Trump, and Buffett.

Norm
Upper Eastside

Hello John,

In our city, working people represent the 'new' poor people. The homeless now represent the lowest tier poor. If no one, particularly our Mayor, cares about the working poor, why would he care about the homeless?

Mike from Brooklyn

this is not surprising because everything is going up and peoples pay is not going up people can not afford to pay the rent.tolls, trains, taxes.people that work 2 jobs like me still can not make ends meet to pay there bills.you can work as many jobs still its hard to make it here in nyc.this city is kicking the poor people out.

rising rents.rising tolls and trains,rising taxes ,rising gas,rising electricity,= rising homeless, rising crimes,rising jails,

John

John,

With average wages at 7.25 and affordable housing Inc is set at $23,000 a year, how van anyone making minimum wages afford to. Live in affordable housing in the city
The shelters are full because landlords have increased the rents so high that people just can't afford to pay. If you got laid off from your job, unemployment won't cover rents of $1000 a month. The city need good paying jobs to help combat homelessness.

Jeanne
Brooklyn, NY

There are lots of failed policies of this Mayor. This is one of them.... I do not think this guy really has a clue about how much people are struggling out there. His main concern is Manhattan.

Claudia

THE TRUTH IS THAT BLOOMBERG IS THE ONLY ONE TO BENEFIT 27 BILLIONS DURING HIS ADMINISTRATION.

PEDRO
BRONX

There are no vouchers, Section 8 is closed, the rents are rising, no income increases,in Harlem they built all these condos and co-ops to force out the low income,disabled,and poor,but the Recession derailed that. The landlords are not even being held accountable for their fraudulent actions, Its a shame that children are living like this, the richest city in the country, the world.

Monique

It is not surprising that the homeless shelters are over populated. We have a Mayor, who when faced with striking school bus drivers and workers, he non chalantly says that if they, the workers are displaced, all they have to do is get another job!! Sure , and if they cannot get another job they are certainly at risk of being added to the homeless pool. His lack of compassion and knowledge of what low wage workers have to contend with is amazing. . He is indifferent to the plight of lower wage earners and those who are unemployed. He has done little to curtail the cycle of poverty in the City.

Chris
West Brighton

The called named Danny is ignorant of the situation for many of the homeless people I see on the street. He says they should just get a job, or two, or work on weekends. Where are the jobs they are supposed to take? What jobs are available in New York now for people who've been unemployed for some period of time? How many of them will never be considered for a job because they have no permanent address or phone number, or because they haven't had a job for the past year or longer? (Unemployed people are far less likely to be hired than those who already have a job.) Maybe they have jail or prison records, or mental health problems? How likely is someone to be hired if he checks "yes" in a box asking whether he's ever been institutionalized for mental problems? It's easy to say, "Get a job," but where are the jobs?

Sonia

The growing homeless problem is due in part because of this mayor's policy towards the poor, underemployed, and the so-called middle class. Many in the shelters are employed but can't afford the higher rents, people are being pushed out, and mayor won't negotiate salaries with city workers & have laid off many city workers.

Denise
Harlem

It's so sad that's there are so many people who are homeless today. Let's talk about the economy how tough it is to get a job to the gentleman who made the comment about why I don't people move to another state or find someone to live with times are extremely hard people do not have the room the space or the resources to put up a whole family. Instead of wasting money on tourist attractions we need to build more affordable housing for the homeless people to be honest with you how many of us can be 1 paycheck away from home with it it's a sad situation coming from the greatest city in the world no we may not receive a salary of 50,000 dollars a year when you first set out to local find a job know you won't but at least pay a man a woman what's the worth.

Calvin

hey john,

in the words of one of your callers, "the landlords are the enemy of the people," and i think Bloomberg is ultimately responsible for allowing these landlords to rape and pillage the citizens of NYC.

sad resident of IPN

This is Iris from Morningside heights.

Amy was right on the money. When you have a high cost of living and high rents then someone would have to earn a lot of money to afford these "luxury apartments," which is the only apartment complex I see under construjction in midtown, downtown, even up in Harlem and by me.

Danny from midtown needs to get some sense. Not everyone can get 2 jobs if they have ill family members or kids. Not every job is secure either. That homeless father mentioned he wasn't getting child support and work is hard to find; so I guess he should work 2 jobs to afford an apartment but never see his kids according to Danny's logic. Where's the compassion?!

25 billions? NO COMPASSION? Math 25 billions =no compassion .NO HUMANITY!

Marga

I work in the shelter system and be aware that most of the shelter system is mentally ill people and x-offenders being released or coming out of prison. The shelter provides housing and food but no other services.

Now, look at working with other organization who provide other services that would be useful such as job development for the prior employed, or x-offenders, or first time job seekers.

What about NA-AA meetings, mental health services just for the those diagnosed with mental illness or a history of mental illness.

Why not use the mayors new smaller room housing to provide housing for those in the shelter it is a jump start with a reasonable cost. The city is sending those in NYC to upstate housing where they cannot even travel back to the city in an attempt to hide the mess.

K.P.

Apparently Mayor Bloomberg did not know that Seth Diamond is ignorant and incompetent. He is worse than that woman he appointed and later removed from being school's chancellor. Seth Diamond had a big position in Welfare to Work. He did very little if anything to move the program forward. The welfare participants learned very little. They mostly did work for free that City employees were paid to do. Do you realize, if homeless people get homes, Seth Diamond won't have a job? Seth Diamond should be removed immediately.

G.D.