New York City is in the midst of a major homelessness crisis, with the number of people living on the streets skyrocketing to record levels. Yet, instead of taking responsibility and working to address the problem, Mayor Eric Adams chose to make a vulgar and inappropriate sexual joke in response to a heckler during a recent press conference. This lack of empathy and seriousness is indicative of his progressive policies that have only exacerbated the city’s homeless problem.
Mayor Eric Adams gets heckled in NYC: “F*ck you a**hole!”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) July 24, 2023
According to the Coalition for the Homeless, the number of people sleeping in the city’s main municipal-shelter system has reached a staggering 83,650 as of May 2023. This includes a heartbreaking 26,775 homeless children sleeping in Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) shelters each night. These statistics represent the highest levels of homelessness since the Great Depression, and the situation has only worsened under Mayor Adams’ watch.
Even before he took office, the city was struggling with a skyrocketing homelessness crisis, with around 45,000 New Yorkers in the city’s primary sheltering system. However, this number has only continued to climb, with nearly 90,000 people sleeping across five city-administered shelter systems on the last night of May, according to an inaugural report released by the Adams administration’s mayoral Office of Operations. This is a devastating index of human misery and suffering that is only made worse by Adams’ lack of urgency and leadership.
The crisis has been exacerbated by Adams’ progressive policies that prioritize illegal immigrants over American citizens. In fact, illegal aliens, many of whom have come to the city in the aftermath of Title 42’s end, now account for more than half of the homeless receiving care and shelter through the city’s social safety net. This influx of illegal immigrants is only fueling the homelessness crisis, as the city struggles to provide adequate care and support for those who truly need it.
It’s time for Mayor Adams to take responsibility for the homelessness crisis in New York City and start putting the needs of American citizens ahead of illegal immigrants. This means ending sanctuary city policies that attract illegal immigrants, investing in affordable housing for low-income families, and working to address the root causes of homelessness, such as mental illness and addiction. Until Mayor Adams takes these steps, the homelessness crisis in New York City will only continue to worsen, and vulnerable Americans will continue to suffer as a result.
