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2023-05-07 -Great Cultural Revolution
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New York failed Jordan Neely, homeless advocates say
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[BBC] Only a scribble of graffiti in black ink, reading "Rest in power, Jordan Neely" gives any indication of what had transpired on Monday. But above ground, his story is sparking a heated conversation around homelessness and the city's ability to protect its most vulnerable residents.
The 30-year-old's personal story suggests a series of failures in the system for dealing with homeless people in New York City, advocates say. They cite a lack of mental health support and housing resources, and a dearth of professionals deployed to provide direct, experienced aid to people in distress.
New York state senator Jabari Brisport, a Democrat, believes "there are people all across the income spectrum who are in need of" mental health services.
Continued from Page 4
"Those who can afford it get it, but those who cannot afford it end up the victims of violent individuals who decide to respond to an interaction on the subway with a chokehold," he said.
Homelessness is one of the city's most intractable issues. Nearly 69,000 people were homeless in New York City as of December 2022, according to the Coalition for the Homeless. That is despite the city's Department of Homeless Services having a budget of $2.2bn (£1.74bn) this fiscal year alone.
New York City has resources to help people experiencing homelessness, including a housing voucher system, a right-to-shelter law, and multiple non-profits geared at helping people find housing, jobs, and treatment. The city has also launched a pilot mental health response force, B-HEARD, and in March the mayor announced a sweeping mental health agenda.
Yet every day, tens of thousands of people struggle to obtain lodging, food, and social services. Many of them, like Mr Neely, end up seeking shelter or aid on the subway as a last-resort refuge that can sometimes lead to uncomfortable encounters with commuters.
A LIFE MARKED BY TRAGEDY
Mr Neely was a subway performer who impersonated Michael Jackson. Social media videos circulated after his death show him performing the pop star's signature moves with a beaming smile.
But his life was also marked by immense tragedy and encounters with police. Mr Neely's mother, Christie Neely, was murdered by her boyfriend in 2007. Her murderer was sentenced to 30 years in prison in 2012, according to the Jersey Journal. Mr Neely began experiencing mental health issues after her death, his aunt, Carolyn Neely, told the New York Post.
"He has never been the same," she said. "It had a big impact on him. He developed depression and it grew and became more serious."
She told the newspaper that Mr Neely had serious mental health conditions and it is believed he was homeless at the time he died. He had also had dozens of encounters with the police, including 42 arrests on charges such as evading fares, theft, and unprovoked assaults on three women, CNN reported.
Advocates for the homeless saw many missed opportunities to get Mr Neely treatment and support.
The Coalition for the Homeless condemned New York's leaders for their "complete failure to provide the critical mental health services desperately needed by so many people in our city".
Adolfo Abreu, the housing campaigns director at Vocal New York, said that Mr Neely would have faced multiple obstacles to receiving mental healthcare, housing, and food, many of them caused by policies - or lack thereof - to deal with homelessness.
"We've advanced policies that are built towards erasing, criminalizing, and institutionalising homelessness, instead of compassion," he said.
A lack of affordable housing has charged New York's homeless crisis and shows no signs of abating. The average monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment rocketed to $3,795 in April, according to Zumper.
Mr Neely's story has also revealed a divide between New York's Democratic leaders and voices further to the left, progressives, who call for different approaches to homelessness and public safety.
| No mention about the divide between those on the left and Republican and conservatives, who advocate for different approaches — actual enforcement of the law as opposed to the cycle of arrest and release, actual treatment of the mentally, whether in asylums or prisons, as opposed to leaving them to founder on the streets. |
New York City mayor Eric Adams, and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, have sought to address rising crime on the subways and a general atmosphere of rider mistrust by drastically increasing the presence of police.
They announced a Subway Safety Plan in February 2022 and a surge in police presence. Part of their plan included more mental health professionals and resources to help homeless people sheltering in the subway. But the most visible result of their plans has thus far been an increased number of police in the subway system.
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Posted by Skidmark 2023-05-07 00:00||
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