By: Tyler Aronson
People move into high-priced New York City neighborhoods because they want what the Big Apple has.
Except for the homeless.
Residents of the West Village and Chelsea are seeing too many homeless folks on the street and it’s spooking them, according to published reports.
“I’ve been here forever, and I’ve traveled all over the world, and I’m scared in Chelsea,” said one local in an interview with the New York Post. “The last three years, it’s been building, and this summer it hit its pinnacle. It’s out of control.”
A petition initiated in August on the website iPetitions reads as follows: “NYC Officials: There is an alarming increase in the number of homeless, drug addicted and vagrants living in the streets of Chelsea and the West Village. We want this problem fixed and we want it fixed now.
“It is a dangerous and unsanitary situation for those on the streets and the people who live in the neighborhood. We deserve to live in a safe and clean environment. There are so many families with children who live here. There are people who are now afraid to walk their dogs and some of our subway stations have turned into homeless encampments.
“We are asking Speaker Corey Johnson and Mayor DeBlasio to support our community precinct police officers to help us resolve this increasingly dangerous situation on our streets. They require your support to be able to do their jobs and as a community we are here to tell you we want them to clean up our streets and get these people off of them so that they can get the help they need and we can return to our streets being safe and clean. DO YOUR JOBS AND TAKE ACTION NOW!
“Signed the Chelsea and West Village Community.”
A comment below the petition on the site by someone named Varina Paone lamented the state of the city. “How sad that NYC is turning into the next San Francisco. I used to love coming to this area but now will avoid it at all costs. My family in Oklahoma even have been talking about how awful Mayor DeBlasio is! How would THEY know about this loser? He is THAT bad! Please vote him out as he seems to be AGAINST NYC rather than For it. WHY let such a beautiful, vibrant City turn into a scary place with mentally ill people running the streets. They need help as do the residents and visitors that bring their vacation money into NYC. The word is out that NYC is not safe and the Mayor doesn’t care….2,000 miles away they KNOW. That is such a Disgrace! This guy has to go!”
