Jordan Neely was Lynched.
A LETTER TO POLICYMAKERS DEMANDING COMPREHENSIVE JUSTICE
Dear Eric, Kathy, Alexandria and other vocal New York Area leaders,
A man was lynched because he was unhoused. We write this letter to condemn the bickering that so many Mayors, Governors and Representatives have so often done, and we fear will continue to happen. Instead we call you to justice to help solve homelessness. While this letter demands action, we would also like to offer meaningful solutions.
Mr. Jordan Neely was 30 years old, and described as a dancer and performer. And unfortunately, we cannot pretend like his life was all positive: he had a history of mental illness, at least 40 arrests and was struggling, even by his own admission in the moments before his death. Whether he’s a man whose family was taken from him at a young age, to any other of the nearly 600,000 unhoused people across the country on any given night, all people need to know that they have someone supporting them.
Mr. Neely was murdered and this was directly the result of a broken and unjust system. Upon first glance, he was unhoused and hungry on the F-Train, when another man unilaterally decided to execute him. But he suffered from chronic disrepair of our society: Mr. Neely was coping with his mental health without support, and relying on public services that didn’t serve him. We have all failed him by allowing to persist notion that he and so many others deserve to be unsheltered. His closest living family would agree that the system has failed him (and are actively raising money for his burial and defense, here).
Eric, you have implied that the vigilante actions of the man who killed Mr. Neely was acceptable by saying “we cannot have people with severe emotional illnesses on our subway system.” Late last year, you also proposed a solution that would stop homeless people from sheltering in subways while also reducing funding for homelessness alleviation services, and involuntarily forcing these people into Hospitals. Beyond that, you have long been a proponent to expand the existing budgets for criminal justice and police. While we do not agree with your solutions, could Mr. Neely not have been restrained and referred into your system of police, hospitals and jail instead of a brutal and illegal execution? Do these vigilante actions not undermine the system you are a proponent of? You must unequivocally denounce this murder, and ensure that justice is served by arresting and charging the man who committed this crime. You must also reconsider your programs that overutilize our hospitals and jails, and instead support the needs of all of your citizens, not just those who can afford to live in it. Otherwise, it is clear: your system of justice is about serving and protecting those with wealth, not the rest of us.
Kathy, you announced a $38.2 Million program to provide “Safe Options” and the continuation of your predecessor’s $200M hotel’s program. We applaud your attempts to increase the options, coordination, outreach and engagement for these individuals. Repurposing old hotels and building a supportive housing model with mental and community health services is a good step. These programs could have prevented Mr. Neely’s death. But you can do more: you can change the status quo by guaranteeing housing across the state. If people like Mr. Neely have to question where they can go next, then remove the question! Develop and maintain a stock of permanent supportive housing that is guaranteed for anyone who needs it. A state with as much wealth as New York should not still be wrestling with the fate of its unhoused and marginalized people.
Alexandria, your advocacy on this issue is well known. It’s time to bring these disparate systems together. Housing is a healthcare issue, and overlaps with the criminal justice system in the wrong way. These systems’ costs are overinflated, and yet somehow are still under-equipped to solve these problems. Moreover, the big federal systems lack the nuance needed to address the real life barriers that exist because of the siloed programs at the federal level. And though the federal government has made strides in bringing these systems together, we need more coordination between housing, health and criminal justice systems to prevent Mr. Neely’s fate from ever occurring to anyone again. While there is funding from the Federal Housing and Urban Development Department to get people into, only 82% of allocated vouchers were actually issued in Eastern New York City. These individuals wind up in Emergency Rooms and In-Patient hospital stays, costing our healthcare system billions because all they really need is a sandwich and a roof over their head. People who cycle between these systems because they ultimately have no where else to go, are then more likely to have interactions with the justice system.
Local, State and Federal leaders need to come together to do better. Mr. Neely should be alive today, receiving the support he needs, in a place that he can call home. Regardless of your bent for how these systems should be funded, we encourage the expansion of more non-punitive solutions like supportive services and guaranteed housing.
We exist because we want to address and eliminate these injustices. We, as neighbors and fellow citizens of Mr. Neely will continue to fight for change through advocacy and action. Will you?
In justice and good health,
The FwdSlash Team
