Staff Reports
In a startling turn of events, a recent revelation has exposed a deliberate cover-up by New York City officials regarding homelessness data during the tenures of Mayors Bill de Blasio and Eric Adams. A comprehensive 49-page report has brought to light at least six intentional violations, indicating a manipulation of public data on homelessness in the city between 2017 and 2022.
New York City officials manipulated data and response to homelessness, report finds https://t.co/cejEesa1Ow https://t.co/cejEesa1Ow
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 11, 2024
The report has shed light on a shocking failure by the Adams administration in providing beds for a minimum of 11 homeless families in the summer of 2022, a direct violation of city regulations. This deceptive conduct, particularly in denying shelter to vulnerable families, is both reprehensible and unacceptable.
Gary Jenkins, a former social services coordinator, has been implicated in withholding the reporting of these violations and neglecting to communicate the dire situation to the mayor's office. Furthermore, high-ranking officials in homeless services actively participated in distorting the number of families eligible for shelter, presenting a misleading perspective on the severity of New York City's homelessness crisis.
Administrator Joslyn Carter and her subordinates have been confirmed to purposefully manipulate the "Monthly Eligibility Rate," a publicly reported figure, over several years to conceal the true magnitude of the homelessness problem. This intentional falsification of data represents a significant breach of government integrity and transparency. It is disheartening that city officials would engage in such deceptive practices.
Former DSS Commissioner Steven Banks allegedly instructed Administrator Carter to decrease the Monthly Eligibility Rate, directly implicating the agency's leadership in the data manipulation. This manipulation serves as a blatant attempt to downplay the homelessness crisis, emphasizing the disturbing prioritization of optics over addressing the real issues.
Homeless advocates have rightfully condemned these revelations as a "disturbing cover-up" and express deep concern over the manipulation of data. This deceit has surfaced at a critical time when the city is grappling with an influx of immigrant families arriving without accommodations, intensifying the strain on New York City's shelter system. The manipulation of data is a betrayal of the trust placed by those in need, and accountability must be established for those responsible for these egregious actions.
