New York was in the midst of a record homelessness crisis even before the
Coronavirus hit. Some 60,000 people were filling municipal shelters across the city every night. Nearly a third of that number was living in dorm-style facilities for single adults, sharing bathrooms, dining areas and sleeping facilities.“When Covid struck, we recognised very quickly this was a recipe for disaster,” said Jacqueline Simone, of Coalition for the Homeless, a
New York charity. The problem was only going to get worse, they warned, as the economic crisis caused by the pandemic deepened.