The Staggering Growth in Homelessness

This chapter talks about the increase of homeless people in temporary shelters during Mayor Michael Bloomberg's term in New York City, which was considered the largest number since the Great Depression. It notes that in fiscal year 2014, the Coalition for the Homeless stated that 53,615 people were residing in New York City's temporary shelter system. It also discusses the growth in temporary shelters that reduced the number of people living on the street by 28 percent. The chapter mentions how Bloomberg's plan to decrease the overall numbers of homeless people seemed inadequate, but it points out that he could not have done any better as he had no financial support from the state and there was no change in federal policy. It emphasizes the mistake of seeing the city's problems as purely local without considering the role of state and federal decision making.