Coronavirus: Cheyenne, homeless in New York, more vulnerable than ever

Text by: Carrie Nooten Follow

New York, the current epicenter of the pandemic, already had 70,000 homeless people before the health crisis, a record since the crisis of 1929. And every night, 4,000 sleep on the streets. But decisions taken by the authorities to curb the spread of the virus have forced them to reorganize their daily lives.

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From our correspondent in New York ,

Cheyenne, a 39-year-old African American, has been homeless since January after losing her job as a legal assistant and her apartment. Refusing the shelter, where she does not feel safe, she juggled between dozing outside, sitting on a folding stool, and "urban camouflage". Until the closing of shops and places of worship on March 20 to slow the progression of the epidemic.

" Before that, I went to church every day ... I could stay inside a store. And most that were open 24 hours a day are no longer. I can't use the toilet anymore! That’s really difficult. People who urinate on the street create more health hazards than having slightly dirty toilets , ”she says.

Until now, the generosity of passers-by was enough for Cheyenne, but with isolation, it is greatly diminished. Many soup kitchens have also closed, so since Friday, the city which provides three meals a day to children from families in difficulty has extended the distribution to any adult.

450,000 New Yorkers have already lost their jobs , the authorities estimate that 40% of New York tenants will not be able to pay their rents from April, and fear that this will swell the ranks of the homeless within a few months.

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• Coronavirus
• United States
• Poverty