US: Deaths of homeless shelter residents in New York increase by 58 pct

The year 2021 saw a 58-percent hike in the deaths of homeless shelter residents in New York compared to 2019, local news channel Spectrum News NY1 reported on its website on Tuesday.

NY1 obtained records of thousands of violent and serious incident reports in the New York City shelter system, showing an increase in the numbers of reported deaths, fights, sex offenses and overdoses.

For instance, the number of reported fights climbed by nearly 16 percent to 1,425 between 2019 and 2021, among which 968 were fights with a serious injury or involved the presence or use of a weapon. Reported sex offenses rose from 368 in 2019 to 588 in 2021, while overdose incidents went up from 701 in 2019 to 1,093 in 2021.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeless Services also noted overdoses are climbing nationwide.