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A Brief History of Homelessness in New York

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  • Kathleen O'C. Hoekstra PhD LCSW
    Posted June 12, 2021 at 7:27 pm

    ‘I’m reading many complaints about mentally ill people seen as menacing neighbors in my community. Because i believe that the solution to a problem requires understanding the causes of it, I’d like to share some research I did as part of my doctoral studies at Columbia University School of Social Work. In the 1980’s, I looked into the homelessness problem which had exploded in NYC over the previous decade. Many of the homeless were former patients who had been released from mental hospitals with the advent of miracle medications which permitted them to live independently, with community support. These patients were not originally released to the streets, as many people now believe. The plan for their release was carefully made, and most were released to SRO’s (single room occupancies) in the areas from which they came., and to which they had a right to return.These areas were to include mental health centers that would supervise patient care, especially their adherence to their medications, and protection from exploitation. The money for this was allocated by the landmark Mental Health Act of the 1960’s signed by President Kennedy, and was administered by state and local Departments of Health and Social Services. A critical problem with the plan, however, along with NIMBY resistance, was that much of this money never made it to these local centers; but stayed in the towns where the mental hospitals were located, as these continued to be major employers of union members, primarily Upstate NY. It is significant that Putnam County did not take advantage of these generous funds, and we never got a comprehensive mental health center. In other cases, centers that were built were inadequate or focussed on other populations. Still, the plan seemed to work for many patients –for a while–.until NYC began to again need larger apartments for (upper) middle class families drawn to the city by an economic upturn. Mayor Koch (“How am I dong?”)and his supporters of J52 proposed to return the SRO’s to the larger apartments (once again with 20 year tax abatements). This received very little publicity. I know of it only because of a Greenwich Village priest who led the resistance. In order to move the residents out of these SRO’s, landlords resorted to scare tactics, e.g., dogs, fires. It worked. In a short time, frightened residents were on the streets…in great numbers., and any chance of supervising them was lost, mainly to illicit drugs. Here, and in jails, is where they have remained since, while luxurious apartments have again flourished in areas like the Upper West Side to meet the needs of the wealthy. schedule the ceili band for July 9, 16 and 23. Thank you.

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