I was recently able to get data on the homeless shelter populations by community board. Looking at the big picture (at the borough level) it is clear that one borough is not pulling its fair share:
As many political observers have noted, Staten Island scares the bejeezus out of elected officials who are loathe to rile them up. (Recall that during the discussion regarding De Blasio’s plan to replace Rikers Jail with smaller, borough-based jails, Staten Island was somehow allowed to be the only borough that would not get a new jail.)
The powerful, conservative voting block/s on Staten Island, and the politicians on the Island and at City Hall who cater to them, shield that borough from pulling its fair share.
Even when you account for borough population, the per capita percentage of people in homeless shelters displays Staten Island’s unfair participation in addressing the homeless crisis.
Washburn Wire Factory
After last week’s post on the East River Plaza and the Washburn Wire Factory that it replaced, a reader forwarded this great look at the postindustrial ruin that was the Wire Factory. It’s well worth a read:
