NYC Charging Rent At Homeless Shelters

[babylonsister]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/09/nyc-charging-rent-at-home_n_201017.html

NYC Charging Rent At Homeless Shelters

May 9, 2009 09:44 AM EST | AP


NEW YORK — Even the homeless can't escape the high price of a night in New York City.

City officials this month began charging rent to some families staying in homeless shelters.

The policy applies only to shelter residents who have income from jobs.

They could be expected to pay up to half their earnings.

Some shelter residents say the new rule will ruin their chances of saving enough money to get an apartment.

One single mother living in a Manhattan shelter tells The New York Times she got a letter saying she had to give up $336 of the $800 she makes each month as a cashier.

The city says it is only charging people who can afford to pay.

About 2,000 families are expected to be covered by the new rule.

[Quantess]

1. "afford to pay"

Well, I imagine there are several homeless people who have an income too small to pay for an apartment, but enough to "afford" to pay what the shelter charges.
But then, how will those people ever be expected to save up enough money to get a place of their own?

[malletgirl02]

2. Doesn't make sense

The reason that people are staying at a homeless shelter is because they aren't able to pay rent in the first place. Making homeless people pay rent is a ridiculous idea.

[sandnsea]

3. "afford to pay", just like national health care

And why I oppose the federal government mandating "affordable" health insurance. At least at the state level you have a chance of being heard. Once the federal government puts in a mandate, you're sunk for sure.

This is the craziest thing I have ever heard.

[Occam Bandage]

4. So is their goal to ensure those people are never able to leave the shelter?

[babylonsister]

6. That's what it sounds like to me, too, but that makes no sense. nt

[Taverner]

5. Make no mistake - this is an underhanded strategy to chase the homeless out of NYC

[Occam Bandage]

7. This strategy will lock the homeless in the shelters

as assuredly as the company store locked coal miners in coal towns.

[surrealAmerican]

9. That's exactly what it sounds like.

Whose idea was this anyway? What do neighboring towns have to say about it?

[Warpy]

8. What a Republican plan

Sock it to marginal workers so they'll never be able to save a dime and better their lot in life, that's the ticket!

Whoever dreamed this one up is pure evil.