New Yorkers Who Died in the Cold Had Shelter Services, But Never Reached Them
A grim reality has emerged from the recent sub-Antarctic chill that gripped New York City: dozens of homeless individuals who perished outdoors had shelter services lined up. However, they never made it to those shelters.
According to officials, a "handful" of the 18 deceased had active shelter placements in place before their deaths. Despite this, Molly Wasow Park, the outgoing commissioner for the city's Department of Social Services, testified that these individuals simply didn't arrive at their designated shelters. This tragic outcome adds to the growing list of shortcomings from Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration since Winter Storm Fern dumped a foot of snow on the city and temperatures plummeted below freezing.
The failure to transport those who had shelter services lined up is just one of the numerous blunders that have plagued the city's handling of homelessness. The incident highlights the need for more effective solutions to address this pressing issue.
One such case involves Frederick Jones, 67-year-old homeless man found dead on January 24th about a mile from his apartment building run by Breaking Ground. Despite receiving three emergency calls hours before his death, Jones waived off help when police responded to the first call and couldn't be found for the second call. A final report described Jones splayed in the snow with his arms open, near a bottle of liquor.
Witnesses who knew Jones expressed shock at his apparent demise, with one food delivery worker recalling that Jones was "stiff" on the ground. The incident has raised concerns about the potential consequences of delayed action and inadequate support systems for homeless individuals.
While some might argue that calling for help in such situations could be futile, experts caution that timely intervention can make a significant difference in preventing deaths from hypothermia or other cold-related causes.
A grim reality has emerged from the recent sub-Antarctic chill that gripped New York City: dozens of homeless individuals who perished outdoors had shelter services lined up. However, they never made it to those shelters.
According to officials, a "handful" of the 18 deceased had active shelter placements in place before their deaths. Despite this, Molly Wasow Park, the outgoing commissioner for the city's Department of Social Services, testified that these individuals simply didn't arrive at their designated shelters. This tragic outcome adds to the growing list of shortcomings from Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration since Winter Storm Fern dumped a foot of snow on the city and temperatures plummeted below freezing.
The failure to transport those who had shelter services lined up is just one of the numerous blunders that have plagued the city's handling of homelessness. The incident highlights the need for more effective solutions to address this pressing issue.
One such case involves Frederick Jones, 67-year-old homeless man found dead on January 24th about a mile from his apartment building run by Breaking Ground. Despite receiving three emergency calls hours before his death, Jones waived off help when police responded to the first call and couldn't be found for the second call. A final report described Jones splayed in the snow with his arms open, near a bottle of liquor.
Witnesses who knew Jones expressed shock at his apparent demise, with one food delivery worker recalling that Jones was "stiff" on the ground. The incident has raised concerns about the potential consequences of delayed action and inadequate support systems for homeless individuals.
While some might argue that calling for help in such situations could be futile, experts caution that timely intervention can make a significant difference in preventing deaths from hypothermia or other cold-related causes.
This is so sad 
. I mean, who dies on the streets when they have shelter services lined up? 
It's like, how do you not show up to a warm bed and some hot food? 
We need to figure out why this keeps happening and make some real changes. More resources, better coordination between agencies... something needs to be done. 
We can't just blame the system for failing these people; we need to take responsibility as a society to support those in need. 
And yeah, delayed action can be deadly 
. I mean, if someone's arms are splayed out like they're open to receive something... that says it all 
it's like the system failed them. i mean, who needs 3 emergency calls and then just gives up? 
those ppl are counting on us to help them stay warm and safe.
like what even is going on here? So homeless people have shelter services but they still die because they didn't show up to them lol what's wrong with ppl?! 
I feel so bad for Frederick Jones he was just trying to make it through the night and ended up in a bottle of liquor and freezing his butt off 
it's like, we gotta do better fam. We need more than just shelter services we need people who care enough to show up and help those ppl out 
. And can we talk about how messed up the system is? Like, delayed action and no support systems? That's just not right 
. We gotta keep pushing for change so these things don't happen again 
, this is so not surprising... I mean, come on people! If you've got shelter services lined up, it's your responsibility to get there, right? 
It's not like the shelters are just gonna magically appear for you. And what's with all these emergency calls going unheeded? Three hours? That's like, forever in hypothermia land 
. I mean, I get that Jones was struggling, but waiving off help because he didn't want to be a burden? No way 
. and what really gets me is that ppl who knew Frederick were saying he was super stiff when they found him 
. that's just heartbreaking. anyway, can't wait for the city to come up with some new solutions to this problem 
.
But it seems like a lot of these people were just too far gone by the time they got to those shelters. And what's even more worrying is that some people had emergency calls made for them and still ended up losing their lives! 
I was reading this article about the homeless people who died in NYC and it made me think of my grandma's old friend, Bob, he used to live on the streets for a while back in the 90s 
. He always said that shelters were like hotels for the homeless, but sometimes you gotta pay the room fee upfront before they'll let you check in... you know? 
It's crazy how people still struggle with finding stable housing, especially when there are resources available. I think we need more affordable options and better outreach programs to get people off the streets for good 
these cases are just heartbreaking & show us we gotta step up our game to tackle homelessness. it's not just about providing shelter, it's about getting ppl the help they need before it's too late 
. I mean, 3 emergency calls from Frederick Jones' apartment building and still no one could find him? That's just not okay! 
What if someone else had been there in his place? 
. We gotta do better, folks! #HomelessnessSucks #NYCNeedsHelp #ShelterForAll
. Its not like they didnt know how to get help, it's like the system failed them 
. Frederick Jones' story is just so sad, poor guy was just trying to make it thru the night and still ended up freezing to death