The city’s subway stations with the worst ongoing vacancy problems saw homelessness rise nearly 45 percent over the summer, the MTA security chief revealed Monday.
The eight stations, all but one in Manhattan, were used as housing by an average of 14.7 people in August, up from 10.2 homeless in May, said Patrick Warren, head of security for the United States. ‘MTA.
The stations comprise some of the city’s busiest suburban centers, including Grand Central Terminal, Penn Station, the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Lexington Avenue / 59th Street, Warren said during a monthly Committee meeting. MTA Security in Manhattan.
The others are tourist attractions in Times Square and Union Square, as well as Fulton Street in Manhattan and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn.
All stations located in the 98th percentile of those occupied by homeless people seeking refuge, Warren said
Warren said traffic officials began making their own counts because data from annual accounts conducted by the city each winter “can’t be used” because they’re “just a one-time count, which is interesting right now.” , but just don’t get the results until four months later “.
“This is a data-driven approach to understanding where homeless people are and how we can support them, to provide insight into this risk group,” he said.
“We can use our scarce resources by targeting them with information like this.”
Surveys at MTA end-of-line stations, where vagrants tend to congregate at night, showed that Stillwell Avenue and Flatbush Avenue / Brooklyn College in Brooklyn were the most populous, with an average of three people. at each stop on April 1 and August 31. .
Kathryn Wilde, of the New York pro-business association, said having homeless people living in the subway system was “a major threat to the city’s recovery” from the coronavirus pandemic.
“New Yorkers fear catching COVID-19 or being assaulted or harassed by someone who doesn’t wear a mask, is probably not vaccinated, and who often evidence mental and physical health problems,” he said.
“The MTA has begged the police and hired social agencies to try to relocate people, but the problem has only increased.”
Wilde added: “We all understand that there are no easy solutions, but our city is used to facing difficult problems and that should be a priority.”