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CNN Live Saturday

Homeless Numbers Surge in New York City

Aired August 10, 2002 - 18:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, there has been a surge in the number of homeless people this summer in New York City. An increase significant enough that the mayor implemented a new strategy in June. But is it working? Here's CNN's Brian Palmer.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN PALMER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Lisa Stover counts her blessings in a tiny Bronx church. Her greatest ones - her five children - struggle to stay awake after spending their 18th night homeless.

Close to three weeks - how does it feel?

LISA STOVER, HOMELESS: I didn't imagine that I would be here so long. I'm just really at the breaking point. My children are really at the breaking point and I'm just - I'm trying to stay encouraged.

PALMER: She says domestic violence forced her out of her home and into the emergency assistance unit or EAU where families apply for shelter - a legal right in New York City.

STOVER: I need shelter. I need an apartment that's safe and that has the proper things that my children need at an affordable rate that I can pay. I'm willing to work. I don't want to be on welfare. I have a job.

PALMER: The Stovers' spent their first two night sleeping at the EAU in conditions like this. Children sprawled on the floor at 5:30 one morning. They have slept in a different shelter every night since.

Along with busloads of others they return to the EAU each morning hoping for a longer-term shelter. Families must go through this office to become eligible for permanent housing.

ANN DUGGAN, HOMELESS COALITION: The eligibility screening at the EAU - and they have a special investigative team here to determine - to screen families and determine whether they are indeed eligible is based on a notion that if you make it too easy for families, you will have families accessing the system who are not actually homeless. So they go out of their way to make it as difficult as possible.

PALMER: So what do you have to do now?

STOVER: I have to go inside. I have to turn in my pass. I have an overnight pass that I have to turn. Then I have to stand in a long line to get another pass to come back out.

PALMER: City officials say a record increase in the number of homeless created the current problem.

LINDA GIBBS, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELESS SERVICES: What I'm trying to do at the same time is to put in place a long-term strategic plan that breaks the cycle of crisis and response and addresses the system of homelessness not just as one of providing shelter but really work harder on looking at the causes of homelessness.

PALMER: Mayor Bloomberg announced his plan to tackle homelessness in June. Advocates await results. Lisa Stover and her family still wait for a place to call home.

STOVER: This is not going to be a permanent thing and things are going to get better and we're going to have our own place again and that we're going to stay a family. And that's the most important thing.

PALMER: Family and faith. Brian Palmer, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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