A person sleeps at Times Square subway station in Midtown Manhattan.
Photo by Shutterstock.
In New York City, more people are experiencing homelessness than in all of LA County, according to the most recent counts. But in New York, far fewer people sleep outside on the streets. That’s partly because of the state’s “right to shelter” law, which requires NYC to provide emergency shelter to every unhoused person who qualifies.
Now one state lawmaker is proposing a similar law in California. His office says it will be taken up by the Legislature next year. It’s a relevant time to look at the history of New York’s policy and what California or LA could learn.