Homeless New Yorkers who are the subject of regular encampments sweeps say they’re not getting the solution they want to get them off the streets for good.
Instead, they say, life has become something of a chess game — moving from one spot when told to leave, but going to a nearby corner to take refuge until the city places them in check once more.
“It’s tiring, it shouldn’t be happening like this, man. I don’t sleep, you know what I am saying? Every time this happens, I don’t sleep,” Neil Singh told amNewYork Metro.
Known locally as Wolf, Singh is homeless, and he lives everyday with angst over what has become known as the sweeps — Mayor Eric Adams’ initiative to remove street encampments across the five boroughs and offer outreach services in the process. However, according to those who live through that process, the sweeps feel akin to harassment, and the housing they’re being offered is less desirable than weathering the storm outside.