The New York City commissioner of homeless services and other officials flew to The Bahamas on the mayor’s private jet Wednesday to inspect retired cruise ships, according to an Associated Press report.
The Guardian could not confirm whether there are retired cruise ships in The Bahamas.
The report said the city is desperate for ways to combat a surge in homelessness as winter nears, and is looking into whether retired cruise ships could be converted into shelters.
“They’re looking at options that would provide safe and appropriate shelter to the homeless, just looking to see if this may present a viable option,” said Jim Anderson, spokesman for Commissioner Linda Gibbs.
Last month, a record 37,100 homeless people were sleeping in city shelters each night, according to the Coalition for the Homeless, which compiles statistics for the city. The number was 21,000 as recently as 1998.
City officials stressed it is too early to speculate on how the cruise-ship idea might be applied in New York, what it would cost or how long it would take to implement.
Homeless advocates said the idea is outlandish and unnecessary. They want the mayor to promote cheap, permanent housing.
“Studies have shown the way forward is clear οΎ— the provision of affordable, supportive housing,” said Ann Duggan, a policy analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless. “It is simply that easy.”
The city has explored a number of options.
This summer a judge blocked Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to use a former Bronx jail as a shelter. The city, bound by law to provide shelter for its homeless, has also considered converting empty convents and community centers.
So far this year, the city has contracted with social service providers to set up 18 new shelters in failing hotels, in many cases angering neighbors who were unaware of the plans. In all, the city now has about 125 family shelters.
The number of homeless families seeking shelter in New York City was 8,925 in October, up from 7,916 in June. A family’s average length of stay in a shelter also has climbed, to 11 months, up from five months in the mid-1990s.
The Nassau Guardian
