1 million New Yorkers risk being on the street due to a pandemic if the city does not intervene

The risk group includes the most vulnerable segments of the population who do not have savings. Since many of them have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, they have no money to pay their rent and are at risk of being left on the street. This can be avoided only thanks to the strong-willed decision of the city authorities. Edition shares details abcNEWS.

Who is at risk

Right now tenants in New York can't be evicted for non-payment of rent, but they still have to keep paying it. However, if the city does not pass a plan to stabilize the housing stock, these people are at risk of joining the ranks of the homeless. This was stated by the non-profit organization Win, which is a partner of the city's department of the homeless and provides temporary shelter for families with children who are homeless.

More than 325 of New York City's poorest families, nearly 1 million people, are at risk of severe income loss. In this regard, they may lose the opportunity to pay for rent, according to Win.

At risk are people who worked in industries severely affected by the pandemic. Among them are workers in the catering and retail sectors.

About two-thirds of the jobs lost as a result of the pandemic were paid less than $40 a year. This is confirmed by the results of a study conducted by the Center for New York City Affairs at the New School.

So even before the pandemic, in 2018, most New Yorkers had to pay more than half of their income to rent. In 2019, 70% of low-income tenants saved less than $1000. Accordingly, now they have practically no savings left.

As more New Yorkers lose their jobs but are forced to pay rent, they risk being evicted for non-payment of rent, Win said.

What the city needs to do

New York State continues to have a moratorium on evictions, Governor Andrew Cuomo said. Initially, the evictions were suspended until June 20, but later this period was extended until August 20.

However, tenants are still required to pay rent. And while landlords can't sue for non-payment right now, they can do so when the moratorium is lifted, according to Comptroller Scott Stringer's office.

Christine Quinn, president and CEO of Win and former speaker of the New York City Council, said the eviction moratorium will not help people cope in August, when they have to pay rent for the past months. It is impossible to do without interference from the city authorities, otherwise these people risk becoming homeless.

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In an interview with ABC News, she highlighted two key factors that will help unemployed New Yorkers keep their homes. Mayor Bill de Blasio should help them in this.

First, the city must provide these people with rental assistance vouchers. The voucher will provide assistance for the first three months, renewable for another three months. Such vouchers will be able to receive low-income families or persons left for a long time without work.

These vouchers will be subsidies, not loans, Quinn added.

In addition, the city should start reopening hotel rooms for those who decide to leave their homes during the pandemic knowing they won't be able to pay their rent in August.

Another New York non-profit organization, Picture the Homeless, has calculated that there are hundreds of thousands of unused numbers in the city.

The number of homeless: today and according to forecasts

Most of the homeless in New York today are families living in shelters. However, the situation is exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. After all, many people lost their jobs and livelihoods.

Since mid-March, when all non-essential businesses closed in the city, as of May 2, 830 residents have filed for unemployment benefits for the first time, the state labor department said.

Stringer's office projects that more than 900 New Yorkers, or one in five working residents, will apply for jobs by the end of June. Among the hardest hit sectors are hotels, restaurants, retail and healthcare.

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The city's mayor's office did not respond to questions about current plans to do so. However, at the daily briefing on Wednesday, May 13, Bill De Blasio praised the House federal stimulus bill, which would provide New York with $17 billion in direct aid. Assistance will be directed to various needs, including housing construction. “This is the help we need,” the mayor said.

However, the US Republican politician Mitch McConnell (Mitch McConnell) criticized the efforts made by the Democrats. The White House has also signaled resistance to moving forward with another round of short-term coronavirus therapy spending.