While the homeless population is bigger at the Port Authority bus terminal and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, a growing number are finding shelter at New York’s airports, according to Volunteers of America. Since 1986, the 118-year-old nonprofit has provided outreach to the homeless at LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports under a contract with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.
Volunteers of America, which has offices at LaGuardia and JFK, counted a monthly average of 45 chronic homeless people at LaGuardia in 2014, an 80 percent increase over the average month in 2011. On the coldest nights, as many as 50 took refuge at LaGuardia in East Elmhurst, Queens. JFK’s chronic homeless increased to an average of 33 per month, double the number in 2011.
“It’s a public space,” said Carmen Keaton, Volunteers of America’s director of community case management and facility operations. “You have a place to bathe. You have a place to eat. You have a place to panhandle for money, and a warm facility.”
Security guards won’t eject the homeless from the central terminal so long as they’re peaceful and don’t create a nuisance, Keaton said. Many develop relationships with concession workers, who give them food and drinks, she said.
Ron Marsico, a spokesman for the Port Authority, said such groups as Volunteers of America help relocate the homeless to shelters when possible.
9 comments:
Oh my, tsk tsk tsk, the tourists sure aren't going to like this.
The MTA is dropping them off by the bus load.
its not a public place.
I was pretty sure that the terminals weren't considered a 'public space'. Isn't that how they got the Hare Krishna's out? The idea being that they had private companies to do cleaning and trash? The area was maintained by the airlines, not the city or federal agencies?
They need to bus those homeless out to the doorstep of Gracie Mansion or the Queens Boro Hall.
Anon No. 2:
I assume that you've seen this happening.
Those are not homeless people. They are passengers who got screwed because of flight delays and cancellations.
The MTA is dropping them off by the bus load.
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That would require the MTA to get their employees to actually DO something. Do you seriously think that is a possibility?
How about the City hold HRA/Welfare responsible for not giving these people the government benefits they are entitled to? Or since they are already at the airport, anyone who is not a citizen, fly them back to their country of origin. they obviously aren't flourishing here and have more access to crack and other drugs.
Here's an idea - create a lot of buildings with the appearance of an LGA terminal and they will attract the homeless and perhaps they will leave the actual LGA terminals alone for the airlines customers.
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