New York is likely to see more homeless people on the streets this summer, thanks to US Housing Secretary Julian Castro — a possible Hillary Clinton running mate.
That’s because Castro’s Department of Housing and Urban Development is leaving homeless shelters on the hook for millions of dollars they need to operate.
HUD this month announced a dramatic shift in its homeless policy away from support for short-term “transitional” shelters in favor of permanent housing.
As a result, 12 transitional facilities in the city are losing their entire funding — the equivalent of 500 shelter beds.
And some of the agencies that run shelters, like the Doe Fund, are losing a significant chunk of the money they need to cover their operating budgets.
Sure, permanent housing can help a bit — but only with those who’ve been made homeless for economic reasons.
But that’s only a fraction of the problem. Housing alone doesn’t begin to address the very real social pathologies that lead to street homelessness — mainly mental illness and addiction. Such folks are extremely difficult to place in permanent housing.
Also hard to place are former felons, notes the Doe Fund — which specializes in helping that population.
“Funds are being diverted from the key drivers of the homelessness crisis,” Doe’s chief of staff, Alexander Horwitz, told The Post. “It’s going to have an immediate and large impact.”
Yes, the feds have raised funding for permanent housing. But New York has an immediate problem: The city is legally required to provide shelter to anyone who says they’re homeless, and some 58,000 people are living in shelters.
All this comes as summer approaches — when the street homeless population surges because of the warm weather. And when that happens, quality-of-life crimes inevitably rise.
Paging Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand: Pick up the phone and press Secretary Castro now, so the city isn’t forced to make up the difference.