NIMBYism In New York City During the Covid-19 Pandemic

NIMBYism In New York City During the Covid-19 Pandemic

As of late 2019, almost 80,000 New Yorkers were homeless. That number has likely increased since then due to the devastating economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, tens of thousands of New Yorkers living on the streets or in shelters were put at increased risk for contracting the virus. Given this reality, to decrease the spread of Covid-19 in New York City’s homeless community, Mayor Bill de Blasio made the controversial decision to convert empty luxury hotels into housing for those living in shelters. This would allow for each person to properly social distance by having their own bedroom and bathroom. While this proposed solution may seem ideal, the neighborhood chosen to house the homeless shelter population became the source of a major controversy.

Stella Kirszner '23

05-07-2021

English