December 22, 2024 Statement from the Coalition for the Homeless on the murder of the homeless woman set on fire on the subway: This horrible and senseless murder of a homeless woman yet again underscores how badly our City and State have failed in addressing the inexcusable lack of affordable housing that relegates so many members of our community to homelessness, and how vulnerable people are when left to sleep in public spaces. It’s easy to forget that homeless individuals are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violent crime. But tragedies like this – occurring only days after the Homeless Persons Memorial Day, and shortly after the Daniel Penny acquittal, which underscored how little our city values the lives of people without homes – are a devastating reminder of that fact.
