Homeless on the Rise

The homeless population of the Greenpoint/Williamsburg neighborhood may have increased due to the worsening economic crisis and lack of affordable housing in the area.

Pastor Ann M. Kansfield of the Greenpoint Reformed Church said the church is struggling to accommodate all the needy who come to their food programs. The newly launched Monday Lunch Program, the Food Pantry program, and the Wednesday Community Dinner program are all in desperate need of volunteers. Although she does not know whether the patrons of the food programs are homeless or not, she said since mid-summer this year she has noticed a large number of homeless people hanging around the neighborhood.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase of homeless people in the area,” she said.

Other soup kitchens in the neighborhood did not reply and local homeless shelters could not be contacted for comment.

Patrick Markee, the Senior Policy Analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless said the number of homeless people citywide has increased substantially in the past couple of years.

“It wouldn’t surprise me that more folks are turning up in soup kitchens,” said Markee. “Presently there is a record number of homeless; more than 34,000 in shelters citywide.”

Eric Deutsch, the Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Homeless Services sees the situation in a more positive light. He states that the number of homeless people in Brooklyn and citywide is on the decline based on the annual citywide HOPE count. “Regarding the borough of Brooklyn, the total number of unsheltered homeless individuals is down 43 percent cumulatively since 2005, and 24 percent in the last year. Citywide, we have seen a 25 percent reduction in the street population since 2005, and a 12 percent reduction over the past year,” wrote Deutsch in an email.

However, according to an August 2008 New York City Independent Budget Report, the goals for reducing the number of families and single adults in emergency shelter have not been met. While the number of families in shelter decreased from 9,162 in 2007 to 8,848 in 2008, and the number of individuals in family shelter went from 27,653 in 2007 to 27,491 this year, the number of single adults in shelters has increased from 6,813 in 2007 to 6,976 in 2008.

Assemblyman Joseph Lentol said he is not surprised by the up-tick in homelessness in the neighborhood due to the ailing economy and lack of affordable housing in the area. Living here certainly comes with a heavy price tag. Guillaume Caubet of Urban Living Real Estate Brokers said the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Greenpoint/Williamsburg neighborhood ranges from $2,000 to $2,500. Lentol proposed increasing the number of affordable housing in North Brooklyn to combat the current situation.

“When new developments go up, instead of just thinking about the profit margin, opportunities for affordable housing needs to be created,” said Lentol. “The economic crisis is part of the same problem; not only here in Greenpoint, but everywhere in the United States—people want to live somewhere nice and they can’t afford it.”