Queens' Homeless Population Declines In '07
BY RICHARD GENTILVISO

It's a case of good news and bad news.

The homeless population, especially in Queens, is down, according to this year's homeless street count. But the economy is down as well and that could impact next year's count.

There were 1,089 fewer people living in New York's streets, parks and subways during this year's Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) count, conducted by the city Department of Homeless Services (DHS) in January.

All told, 3,306 unsheltered individuals were counted this year, a drop of 12 percent from the 3,755 homeless counted last year, said Jay Bainbridge, DHS assistant commissioner for policy and planning.

That was 25 percent fewer than the 4,395 individuals counted in 2005, Bainbridge told the Queens Borough Cabinet at the cabinet's May meeting in Borough Hall.

There also was a decline of 30 percent in homeless counted in subways this year, representing a drop from 1,624 in 2007 to 1,141 in 2008.

"Queens, in particular, has had the highest [percentage] drop since 2005," said Bainbridge.

The borough numbers show a decrease of 60 percent in homeless counted, declining from an estimated 335 individuals in 2005 to 135 in 2008. Queens also showed the greatest percentage decline from 2007 to 2008, dropping 27 percent from the 186 individuals counted in '07.

HOPE counts only single adults, but DHS's daily homeless census for New York City includes both single adults and families. It currently totals more than 34,000 individuals. Though the average monthly census for families with children in shelters decreased 5 percent from 8,128 in October 2007, to 7,756 in February 2008, it rose again to 8,780 families on May 6, according to the DHS Web site.

At the same time, during the first quarter of 2008, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the loss of 232,000 jobs, with 80,000 in March alone. New York City will lose 90,000 jobs this year, according to the mayor's Office of Management and Budget.

Moreover, unemployment in the U.S rose three-tenths of a percent to 5.1 percent in March, the highest since September 2005 after Hurricane Katrina. Unemployment went up across the board, except among teenagers.

In another presentation, the city Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) said it will begin its Green Cart program this year. The program establishes 1,000 permits for green carts to sell fresh produce in designated areas of the city.

The mobile green carts can sell only raw fruits and vegetables. No frozen or processed produce is allowed, and for safety reasons green cart operators cannot sell cut, sliced, peeled or processed fruits or vegetables.

This year, 50 permits are available in the borough, with 50 more to become available in 2009. In Queens, green carts will be allowed to operate within the boundaries of the 100th, 101st, 103rd and 113th police precincts.

Both a license and a permit are needed to operate a green cart. For more information, call 311 and ask for "Green Carts" or go to nyc.gov/greencarts.