>>> GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO

"METROFOCUS."

I'M JENNA FLANAGAN.

MORE NEW YORKERS THAN EVER ARE

HOMELESS, AND THE STATISTICS ARE

SOBERING.

THERE HAS BEEN A 74% INCREASE IN

THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING IN

SHELTERS IN THE LAST TEN YEARS,

AND JUST LAST WEEK, NEW YORK'S

COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS

REPORTED THAT THAT POPULATION IS

ON TRACK TO GROW BY 5,000 MORE

BY THE YEAR 2022.

TRAGICALLY, MORE THAN 20,000 OF

THOSE IN HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE

CHILDREN, WOMEN IN NEED, OR WEN,

THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF SHELTER

FOR FAMILIES IN NEW YORK CITY,

SERVING CLOSE TO 10,000.

LAST WEEK THE GROUP CALLED ON

CITY COMPTROLLER SCOTT STRINGER

TO AUDIT THE PREVENTION

ASSISTANCE AND TEMPORARY HOUSING

INTAKE CENTER, ALSO KNOWN AS

PASS.

WE EXAMINE WHAT'S CAUSING THIS

HOMELESS EPIDEMIC, AND HOW CAN

WE SOLVE IT.

I'M JOINED BY CHRISTINE QUINN,

FORMER CITY COUNCIL SPEAKER AND

CURRENT PRESIDENT AND CROW OF

WEN.

WELCOME BACK TO THE PROGRAM.

>> THANK YOU.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO GO

BACK AND GIVE PEOPLE A REFRESHER

ON THE PURPOSE OF THE

ORGANIZATION.

WHAT IS IT THAT WEN DOES?

>> WEN IS THE LARGEST PROVIDER

OF SHELTER OF HOMELESS FLAPS,

WOMEN AND CHILDREN MOSTLY, 92%

OUR HOUSEHOLDS HEADED BY WOMEN.

BUT THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF

SHELTER AND PERMANENT SUPPORT OF

HOUSING TO HOMELESS FAMILIES IN

NEW YORK CITY.

EVERY NIGHT WE HOUSE 10% OF ALL

THE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE

SHELTER SYSTEM.

>> NOW WHY IS IT THAT WE'VE SEEN

SUCH AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER

OF HOMELESS FAMILIES IN THE

CITY?

>> WELL, THERE IS A NUMBER OF

REASONS.

THE BIGGEST I BELIEVE, OR ONE OF

THE BIGGEST IS THE AFFORDABILITY

CRISIS IN NEW YORK.

RENTS ARE -- NOT TO QUOTE

SOMEBODY, BUT TOO DAMN HIGH.

AND SO THE DOOR AT A SHELTER IS

NOT AS WIDE AS IT SHOULD BE OR

ONCE WAS.

ALSO, WE'RE FINDING JUST BEYOND

RENT, LANDLORDS DON'T WANT TO

TAKE THE GOVERNMENT VOUCHERS

THAT PEOPLE HAVE, ALTHOUGH IT'S

AGAINST THE LAW, DISCRIMINATORY.

>> ISN'T THAT ILLEGAL?

>> IT IS.

IT IS.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE PREYING ON

PEOPLE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING

HOMELESSNESS, THEY'RE AT A LOW

IN THEIR LIFE.

MAYBE THEIR LOWEST.

THEY DON'T FEEL EMPOWERED.

THEY'VE BEEN LET DOWN BY THE

SYSTEM.

SO THIS IDEA THEY'RE GOING TO

TURN THE LANDLORD IN IS REALLY A

LOT TO ASK.

SO THERE IS NOT AS MUCH

PROSECUTION THERE AS IT SHOULD

BE.

THE AFFORDABILITY CRISIS, THE

LACK OF RENTS THAT SOMEBODY

COMING OUT OF SHELTER CAN

AFFORD, THE SECOND REASON THAT

YOU'RE SEEING IT GO UP IS

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

AND THAT'S KIND OF A DIFFERENT

PART OF THE EQUATION.

BUT THAT'S STILL A VERY HIGH

DRIVER.

ALSO, THIS RELATES TO THE

AFFORDABILITY, EVICTION.

ALTHOUGH I WANT TO GIVE MAYOR DE

BLASIO A LOT OF CREDIT, THEY'VE

DONE A GOOD JOB PROTECTING

EVICTIONS WITH ONE-SHOT GRANTS

AND WHAT NOT, BUT IT'S STILL ONE

OF THE TOP TWO REASONS PEOPLE

COME INTO SHELTER IS BECAUSE

THEY LOSE THE HOME THAT THEY'RE

IN.

SO THAT'S ANOTHER FACTOR VERY

MUCH.

>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS I

WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT WAS THE

PUBLIC'S MISPERCEPTION ABOUT THE

HOMELESS, BECAUSE SO OFTEN WHEN

WE HEAR ABOUT A HOMELESS SHELTER

BEING BUILT IN A MORE

RESIDENTIAL AREA, PEOPLE FLIP

OUT FOR LACK OF A BETTER

DESCRIPTION.

WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE ARE

MISUNDERSTANDING?

>> FIRST WE SAY IT'S A

MISUNDERSTANDING, AND THEN I

WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FLIP-OUT.

WE RECENTLY DID A POLL THAT

SHOWS VOCAL MINORITY IS SIMPLY

THAT.

SO WE DID A POLL RECENTLY WITH A

POLLSTER FROM HARRIS X, AND WE

WANTED TO LOOK AT THE BIGGEST

PROVIDERS, WHAT DO PEOPLE KNOW?

WHAT DO THEY THINK?

NOW THE FACT IS THAT 70% OF THE

PEOPLE IN SHELTER IN NEW YORK

CITY, 70% OF THE PEOPLE WHO PUT

THEIR HEAD ON A PILLOW IN A

HOMELESS TSCHETTER LAST NIGHT

ARE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN.

25% ARE CHILDREN SIX YEARS OF

AGE OR YOUNGER.

ON AVERAGE, YOU STAY IN SHELTER

ABOUT 15 MONTHS.

SO IF YOU'RE SIX, WE'RE

BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT A

QUARTER OF YOUR LIFE IN SHELTER.

NOW OUR POLL SHOWED THAT MOST

NEW YORKERS BELIEVE THE VAST

MAJORITY OF NEW YORKERS BELIEVE

THAT THE MAJORITY OF HOMELESS

ARE SINGLE MEN.

NOW WHY DO THEY THINK THAT?

THAT'S WHO YOU SEE ON THE

STREET.

IT'S AGAINST THE LAW TO HAVE

YOUR CHILD ON THE STREET.

YOU DON'T SEE THAT.

TWO, PARTS OF THE MEDIA, AND I

WOULD HIGHLIGHT "THE NEW YORK

POST," HAVE FOR DECADES,

WHENEVER THERE IS A STORY ABOUT

HOMELESSNESS SOUND THE SCARIEST,

MOST FRIGHTENING DISHEVELLED

PICTURE OF A MAN, USUALLY A MAN

OF COLOR, AND PUT ON IT THE

COLOR TO SCARE US, TO CREATE US

AND THEM.

AND THEY'VE DONE IT VERY

SUCCESSFULLY.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED

TO WORK ON IS GETTING THE FACTS

OUT THERE, BECAUSE IF THE FACTS

AREN'T OUT THERE, THE PUBLIC

CANNOT DEMAND THE RIGHT POLICY

RESPONSES.

NOW WE SEE SOMETIMES WHEN

SHELTERS ARE PROPOSED OR BEING

BUILT THAT THERE WILL BE A

RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND

IT'S OFTEN NEGATIVE.

>> YES.

>> AND WE'VE SEEN THE CITY AT

TIMES BACK DOWN FROM SITES

BECAUSE OF THAT.

THIS POLL WE CONDUCTED SHOWED

THAT 90% OF NEW YORKERS THOUGHT

MORE NEEDED EED TO BE DONE TO H

THE HOMELESS, AND SIX OUT OF

TEN, 60% WERE OKAY WITH A

SHELTER.

ER IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO SIX OUT OF TEN HAD NO

OBJECTION.

>> THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF

REPORTING ABOUT THE CITY'S

EFFORTS TO ROTATE FAMILIES IN

AND OUT OF SOME HOTELS, MOTELS,

ET CETERA, AND HOW THAT IS AND

IS NOT WORKING.

>> THE MOTELS AND THE HOTELS ARE

A DISASTER.

SO WHAT HAPPENS THERE?

OUR SHELTERS HAVE 24 HOURS

SECURITY.

SECURITY CAMERAS EVERYWHERE BUT

IN THE ROOM.

WE SAW A WOMAN JUST A MERE THREE

YEARS AGO GET MURDERED IN STATEN

ISLAND, A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

SURVIVOR, HOMELESS BECAUSE OF

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN A HOTEL IN

STATEN ISLAND.

HE FINDS HER, HE KILLS HER, NO

SECURITY.

SO THERE WAS THAT SECURITY.

WITHOUT COMPREHENSIVE

PROGRAMING, THEY DON'T HAVE THE

TYPE OF SOCIAL WORKERS,

CASEWORKERS, JOB TRAINING,

RECREATION, AFTER-SCHOOL HELP,

CAMP WHICH WE HAVE IN THAT

EXISTING SHELTER IN THE HOLTELS.

YOU WAIT WITH NO ONE REALLY TO

HELP YOU.

THOSE ARE ONLY RESULT IN

EXTENDING HOMELESSNESS.

AND IF PEOPLE MOVE OUT OF THEM,

THEY HAVEN'T WORKED THROUGH

TRAUMA OF HOMELESSNESS IN THEIR

EXPERIENCES.

SO THEY'LL UNDOUBTEDLY COME BACK

AROUND AGAIN.

>> END UP BACK.

SO WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE

BEST WAY FOR NEW YORKERS WHO ARE

HEARING THIS AND PERHAPS WEREN'T

AWARE OF WEN, WANT TO DO

SOMETHING POSITIVE FOR THE

HOMELESS.

WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST?

THERE.

>> ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

THEY SHOULD REACH OUT TO WEN.

AND OUR WEBSITE IS WINNYC DOG.

AND ONE, REACH OUT TO W.I.N.

OR IF YOU SEE A SHELTER PROVIDER

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, THERE IS A

LOT OF FABULOUS GROUPS OUT

THERE.

REACH OUT THE W.I.N.

REACH OUT TO ANOTHER GROUP.

USE YOUR VOICE.

IF YOU'RE SEEING STORIES ABOUT

PEOPLE PROTESTING SHELTERS, OR

YOU'RE SEEING MEDIA COVERAGE

THAT IS CLASSIST OR RACIST OR

SEXIST, TWEET ABOUT IT.

GO UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT IT.

PUT A POST ON FACEBOOK.

YOU KNOW, TWEET AT THE

PUBLICATION THAT RAN IT.

TWEET AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD GROUP.

WE NEED PEOPLE TO RAISE THEIR

VOICES, BECAUSE TOO OFTEN IN THE

HOMELESS DEBATE, THE ONLY VOICES

WE HEAR ARE THE ONES SCREAMING.

WE NEED TO HEAR THOSE VOICES OF

COMPASSION AND COMMUNITY, AND

THAT REALLY WILL MAKE A

DIFFERENCE.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING

US.

>> THANK YOU.

AND I'LL GIVE VIEWERS ONE OTHER

IDEA.

>> SURE, YES.

>> IT'S COMING UP ON THE SUMMER.

AND CHILDREN AT W.I.N. GO TO

CAMP ALL SUMMER.

WE DO A ESTEEM BASED CAMP.

BUT OTHER SHELTERS DO PROGRAMING

TOO.

SO SEND IN $10.

SEND IN $20.

AND THEN WHEN YOU'RE TAKING YOUR

CHILD TO CAMP ON THE FIRST DAY,

REMEMBER YOU ALSO HELPED A

HOMELESS CHILD GO TO CAMP.

>> I THINK THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL

THOUGHT FOR THE SUMMER COMING

UP.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> IF YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ARE IN

DANGER OF BECOMING HOMELESS IN

THE TRI-STATE AREA, PLEASE VISIT

OUR WEBSITE AT ME"METRMETROFOCUO

LEARN MORE ABOUT ORGANIZATIONS

LIKE W.I.N.