Fun Fact: "New York City spends more per homeless person than the median NYC household earns. $81,705 per person in FY2025"

From Newsweek March 16:

NYC Spends as Much Per Homeless Person as Median Income

A new report from the New York State Comptroller Office reveals New York City spent roughly as much per homeless person as the city’s median household income last fiscal year.

Newsweek reached out to comptroller's office and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's office for comment on Monday afternoon via email.

Why It Matters

The data reflects a central tension in New York City’s homelessness debate: record‑high spending alongside persistent, visible homelessness. If the city is effectively spending the equivalent of a median income per homeless individual each year, critics say it raises serious questions about efficiency and accountability....

....MUCH MORE 

As noted in March 2020's "Where Are The Bodies Of The Homeless Coronavirus Victims?":

Over the years I've taken a special interest in the plight of the homeless, both as an outlet for charitable impulses and as a socio-political phenomena/area of study. Some of that has ended up on the blog where posts, usually focused on money, have also looked at the lack of it....

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Here's a shelter in, I thinks it's San Diego, which is typical of newer designs: bunk beds, the mattress mats are washable but I don't know how often that is done, close quarters, colds and flu spread very quickly but apparently not Covid-19 deaths.

A shelter like that, capable of holding 80 to 100 souls should not cost $6.5 to $8 million per year to run. The Newsweek article states:

“Per‑person” homelessness spending typically reflects system‑wide costs, including shelters, medical care, mental health services, security, administration, and emergency services, rather than direct cash or housing support provided to individuals. 

One of the commentariat is quoted as saying:

X user @charliesmirkley, who has over 10,000 followers, wrote on Sunday: “NYC spends more per homeless person than the median NYC household earns. $81,705 per person in FY2025. And $81,705 is a floor. It excludes supportive housing (~$500M/yr), mental health response teams, and NYPD encampment costs. The city projects ~$97K per person in FY2026." 

We lifted the first part of his comment for our headline.