Posted on July 16, 2015 by Jake Flanagin in Quartz Quartz, By Jake Flanagin Under state law, New York City is obligated to provide shelter to anyone who asks for it. A July 2015 report (pdf) released by the city’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) puts the total count of New York’s sheltered individuals at more than 55,000—not a number city-owned and operated shelters are equipped to meet. The city has subsequently contracted private property owners to take in a number of homeless families on a temporary basis while DHS assesses their eligibility for housing assistance. Landlords can rake in more than $3,000 per unit in city funds; an amount that is theoretically intended to cover the costs of unit maintenance and security. Predictably, it’s not an arrangement that has enjoyed much success.
