Who's Homeless?

I made a word cloud from this blog. The results aren't very surprising. New York, People, and Photography are each things that I have been thinking a lot about while in the city.

The one big surprise from my word cloud is the word "Homeless." I have discussed the idea in passing in many of my blog posts, but I've never really dedicated an entire entry to the topic of homelessness. Stay tuned for that post in the near future.

I wonder if my overabundant use of the word "Homeless" is subconscious. I am, after all, living away from my family and still settling into New York. Besides the fact that I will be sleeping on an air mattress all summer, I still don't feel like I'm completely at home in New York.

In fact, my working schedule isn't very different from my school schedule. At school, I usually arrive before 9 am to prepare for classes and, and I attend lectures and work in studio until at least 5 pm. My schedule here is a 9:30-6:30 routine, but I have consistently stayed at the office later in order to finish work and spend time with co-workers.

I thought that a summer internship would mean more free time and more opportunities to relax at home. Due to my full workday schedule I feel just as removed from my Brooklyn apartment as I do from my school apartment when I have to spend late and long hours in studio.

Does this mean that I'm mildly homeless? Or does my participation in my company's studio culture and my explorations around the city of New York make me appreciate the city I am in even more? Perhaps I feel homeless in the sense that I don't spend much time in my apartment, but I certainly feel comfortable out on the streets and at my office.

44,000 and Moles

I recently found out that there are 44,000 homeless people in New York's five boroughs. Of those 44,000, over 6,000 spend their nights on the street. How is this possible?

Isn't there a housing crisis that has lowered the price of home and apartment ownership drastically? Aren't there government sanctions, such as Section VIII, that have allowed for reduced cost rent? Aren't there homeless shelters and all sorts of accommodations for underprivileged citizens to make use of? How is it possible for a city to be so desperate? A large portion of New York lives life above and beyond the limits of luxury while a vast population exists far below the poverty line.
How can I come to understand what it means to be homeless and live on the streets? I even hear that there are a kind of mole people - New York citizens that live in the abandoned subway stops and rail lines. I couldn't imagine living that kind of life, but for some reason the destitute nature of their existence makes me want to experience it all the more. At what other point in my life will I have the opportunity to see what it's like to live like a homeless person?

For all the atrocities that homeless living brings to the city, in all honesty the entire built environment of New York caters perfectly to the lifestyle of a homeless person. There are always people out on the streets, making it easy for homeless people to blend it. There is SO much trash and garbage overflowing from most of the garbage bins here that any homeless person would certainly never go hungry. Moreover, the maze of streets in most of the boroughs and the dark corners and parks cater perfectly to the late-night denizens not wishing to be caught or noticed, and in a city with so many flashy lights I couldn't imagine a better place for a homeless person to slip out of view than a side street or subway stop in New York city.

These are definitely questions worth pondering. Above ground, for now.