Posted on July 21, 2011 by Giselle Routhier The lives of several New Yorkers struggling to survive are profiled in this month’s issue of City Limits. They face an array of obstacles from joblessness to homelessness to navigating the City’s convoluted welfare bureaucracy. Their stories, like so many others, are a reminder that millions of New Yorkers are living in poverty today. Unfortunately, the lives of the poor are not often at the forefront of our political discourse. But as the number of homeless and jobless New Yorkers continues to remain incredibly high, our elected officials need to start focusing more intently on what can be done about pervasive poverty in New York. Beverly Davis plans to become a police officer. But in the meantime, she has to complete school, work full time and take care of her kids. She is currently living in an Advantage apartment after experiencing homelessness for several months. But now, with the City threatening to end her $765 monthly rental subsidy, her future remains uncertain. Read Beverly’s story here. Walter Greene went from making ends meet to homelessness last year when the moving company he worked at shut down. Now, he and his wife are living in their third homeless shelter. Their life at the shelter is difficult and Greene’s prospects of securing another job look dim. He has an array of medical issues, including diabetes and high blood pressure, but still he carries on looking. Read Walter’s story here. Read more stories here.
