A sign that homelessness in New York is out of control, the increase of people using the Roosevelt Island subway station as a place to sleep. Three different residents offer photos of the growing phenomenon.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
New York’s Appalling Failure on Display in the Roosevelt Island Subway Station
As disgraceful as the extent of homelessness is in New York City, it’s duration emphasizes the utter cultural failure.
Over dinner at my friend’s apartment, I was clear about it. With homelessness at the forefront, I told him there was easily enough wealth in the city to cure all the gaps in providing decent living standards for everyone.
My friend, who worked on Wall Street, got a year end bonus that was bigger than my annual salary, but he was surprised. His biggest gripe was over the tax bite.
That was in 1995. Some things haven’t changed, and homelessness is one of them. One thing that hasn’t changed is the truth: No one ought to go hungry or end up sleeping in the Roosevelt Island subway station.
But in spite of all the political blather, it persists.
What we see – Photos from Roosevelt Islanders
In some ways, sleeping in the Roosevelt Island subway station is a step up from alternatives. If we can’t make decent homes, at least the homeless are warm and dry. It’s a sad fact that it’s better than sleeping exposed on the increasingly chilly streets.
Since we’ve never elected politicians big enough to solve our worst social problems, expect more when winter arrives. Cringe with compassion. We can’t solve this as individuals, but we can elect better leaders. That’s a given.
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You Can’t Be All Three
April 9, 2026, during the full board meeting of the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation, Fay Christian said something that should have landed harder than it did. She wished RIOC were not responsible for the tram. Then she asked what it would look like if it were given to the MTA. That was not a passing comment.
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