The homelessness crisis is firmly entrenched in many New Yorkers' minds.
Nobody wants to see anyone else suffering in the streets, but there isn't a lot the average person can do to really help the tens of thousands of New Yorkers living in shelters, on the street, or in the subway.
So Mayor de Blasio is planning to do something about it, without waiting for aid from the state.
New York City will invest in the creation of 15,000 "supportive housing" units which are apartments supplemented with on-site services to aid veterans, domestic abuse victims, drug addicts, and those living on the streets.
The housing investment will cost $3 billion, and is the largest effort to help NYC's homeless in recent memory, if ever.
As it stands, there are many aid programs, such as Living in Communities; a subsidy program that provides people living in shelters with rent vouchers, provided they can land the apartment.
The problem with it is, 80% of approved vouchers are going unused because land lords will not rent to people coming out of shelters. Many times applicants have criminal histories, poor credit, or a history of eviction that disqualifies them from leasing an apartment.
The City and State had been in negotiations for funding, but de Blasio decided enough is enough, and something must be done. Now.
De Blasio made a statement on Wednesday, saying, "We are acting decisively. We are not waiting on Albany. It was time for New York City to act. It was as simple as that."
With the mayor's approval rating dropping eight points since last year, it's obvious to many New Yorkers that one of the main reasons is that he's been unable to humanely do anything about the homeless in our streets.
Hopefully now, regardless of approval ratings, we can make some headway towards getting our people off the streets, out of the subway, out of the shelter, and onto their feet.
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[via Business Insider][Feature Image Courtesy Metro Focus]