A new report from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli finds homelessness has grown sharply in New York. Several of Albany's mayoral candidates say they have plans to address the problem.
DiNapoli's report finds the homeless population more than doubled between 2022 and 2024. Although driven in part by the influx of asylum seekers into New York City, the report says the rest of the state also had double and triple-digit rate increases.
Albany mayoral candidate and Chief City Auditor Dorcey Applyrs says the city is already working with nonprofit organizations that are providing supportive services for the unhoused.
“The other aspect, as mayor and looking at the city and how it how we leverage city government to support: we have folks who, right now, have tents downtown, who have tents on the waterfront," Applyrs said. "And I think we’d do a better job of deploying resources to make sure that we are connecting those people to housing, if they choose housing. Some folks who are on house don't want to be housed, and I think we have to respect where people are, but at the same time, it's balancing, connecting the unhoused with resources, but also making sure that our public spaces are places where the everyday person also feels safe.”
Applyrs notes that many are dealing with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Fellow Democratic candidate and Common Council President Corey Ellis recognizes that while nonprofit organizations are trying to provide supportive services, his public safety platform would address the homeless population's impact on neighborhoods and businesses. Ellis says individual cases should be judged on their own merit and circumstance.
“If somebody who's homeless because they lost a job, if they find another job, they're not homeless anymore," said Ellis. "If someone is homeless because they're in a domestic dispute with their partner and their kids are homeless with them, if we remove them out of that and put them in safe environment, and if they lack the job because of the domestic violence, that’s a person we can put immediate help for. But if they're homeless because they have a mental health issue, putting them in a home is not going to solve that issue, right? Because if they have a mental health issue, we have to deal with that first. So is that a homeless issue or is that mental health? If someone's homeless because they're addicted to whatever, whatever, drugs, alcohol, whatever, and that doesn't allow them to function every single day like a normal American, like a normal person, is that a homeless issue or is that an addictive addiction issue?”
Candidate Dan Cerutti, also a Democrat, says treatment facilities need to be expanded.
“I disagree with the current administration when they say the homeless, and they're talking about the homeless, homeless are not our problem. They are the city's problem," Cerutti said. "They're absolutely our problem, and not all these people on the street are homeless. I talk with them quite a bit. I helped the homeless kid get off the street by myself. I went through the process. I got him a room, I got him a job, but I also learned that teaching life skills and support is a big piece of this equation. So I met with, I don't know how many not for profit organizations in the city. I spent hours with Pastor Jones at the Rescue Mission, with the Interfaith Partnership For The Homeless St. Catherine’s, Catholic Charities. I went to a homeless gathering where there were 75 people who provide different services to people are homeless in our city. It's amazing. The people who help are amazing, but they need some coordination.”
Cerutti says it is the city's responsibility to synchronize efforts to relieve the homelessness crisis.
Albany County Legislator Carolyn McLaughlin is making her second run for mayor. The Democrat representing the 1st District, a former Common Council president, says it's not just the non-profits role to help the homeless. She says the city, county and state need to co-ordinate efforts to take action, and she has her own unique approach.
"There's whole communities of tiny homes and that have been built to address the unhoused. And I was fascinated by it, and what I would like to do, a pilot project here in Albany, so I'm talking with some nonprofits, or even the faith communities that have pockets of land that maybe we can, you know, do a pilot and maybe do two or three homes to see how that works out," said McLaughlin.
Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan is not running for a fourth four year-term. Primary Day is June 24th.
