Homelessness is on the rise in the United States. According to a study published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, the number of Americans experiencing homelessness has grown each year since 2015. As of January 2020, there were an estimated 580,466 Americans experiencing homelessness.

• Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
• Jan 29, 2022
• Republished with Permission: The Roosevelt Island Daily News

Though the exact effects the COVID-19 pandemic had on America’s homelessness problem have yet to be determined, some early indications suggest little reason for optimism.

For reasons at least partly related to the pandemic, a portion of Americans – as high as 35% in some states – say they have missed their rent or mortgage payments or have low confidence that they can pay next month’s, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey. Additionally, in some parts of the country, the pandemic interrupted access to temporary housing locations, and social distancing rules meant fewer beds in shelter facilities

Nationwide, men are far more likely to experience homelessness than women, and rates of homelessness tend to be higher among historically marginalized racial groups, including Native Americans and Black Americans. Homelessness rates also vary considerably by state.

In New York, an estimated 91,271 people are experiencing homelessness – or about 46.9 for every 10,000 people, the highest homeless rate among states.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, many areas with a high cost of living, especially high housing costs, also have higher rates of homelessness. Similarly, areas with lower costs of living often have lower rates of homelessness. This pattern holds in New York. Just as the homelessness rate in the state is higher than average, so too is the cost of living. The overall cost of living in New York, which includes housing costs, is about 9.5% higher than the national average.

• Is Homelessness Out of Control in New York? Asleep in the Roosevelt Island Subway
• The Homeless Crisis in America. Some Possible Solutions
• The Unequal Reality of Homelessness in the United States
• Has illegal drug use rode the homeless wave into our subway?
• Sobering Lessons in Untying the Knot of a Homeless Crisis

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The Budget Knew Before the “Emergency”

RIOC anticipated a $7 million Steam Plant demolition for 2015. Nine years later, New York City used emergency authority to carry it out.

Theo Gobblevelt Sep 25, 2026

The demolition began on paper long before the City invoked emergency authority to carry it out. In RIOC’s fiscal 2013-14 budget, the Corporation set aside $7 million for fiscal 2015 for the complete demolition and cleanup of the Roosevelt Island Steam Plant. RIOC called that figure its worst-case scenario, meaning the State corporation might be left responsible for the entire cost.

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