It is believed by a lot of folks that the city has a handle on the homeless problem in NYC, they don't.

It is known by many that Picture the homeless does have evidence and a handle on problem.

Now that the media is giving this issue a second look and not taking everything the city says as gospel, we (PTH) have an opportunity work with policy makers too put in place real solutions to the homeless issue.

What will they do?

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?&aid=74985&search_result=1&stid...

http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?&aid=74540&search_result=1&stid...

See this sheaf of papers? This is eight months worth of one-night shelter placements to the Walles' -- a family to whom DHS won't provide long-term shelter because, DHS insists, they're "not really homeless." The Walles and their toddler have been refused a shelter placement by DHS since Feburary 2007. So they've been forced to go to the PATH family intake center every night to get an "overnight" -- a place to sleep just for the night. Every day the Walles' bring their belongings to PATH, wait outside the building in an interminable line, wait to get put on a bus and ship out to a different substandard shelter room. Still, the city insists they're not eligible for housing assistance because "they could probably find somewhere else to stay."

The scene outside the PATH shelter, where people who know they're labeled "ineligible for shelter" are camped out, waiting for 5pm when they can try to get a bed just for the night. But tonight, the city's new policy goes into effect -- no beds, even for one night, if they think you're "not really homeless." Most people don't know about the policy. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

City, failing to “reduce homelessness” by solving problems with housing and jobs, finally just shuts families out of shelter. by Sophia Bryant The city has a problem: Bloomberg promised he would reduce the number of homeless New Yorkers by two-thirds by 2010. But people are still poor and they can’t afford housing. So now, the city is making it even harder for families to enter the shelter system – they’re punishing the people who need housing for the simple fact that shelter numbers aren’t going down.

The Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE 2007), conducted last week, is more show than substance.

By Jean Rice, from Picture the Homeless' Civil Rights Committee
(in http://www.citylimits.org/content/articles/viewarticle.cfm?article_id=32...)