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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

A stone bench with armrests on Astor Place.

Opinion: Hostile city planning hides homelessness, but doesn’t solve it.

Anti-homeless structures are not only cruel but ineffective, as they simply displace and exacerbate the homelessness crisis rather than alleviate it.
Mehr Kotval, Opinion Editor December 2, 2024

Hostile architecture has a pervasive presence in New York City, though it often goes unnoticed. If you have ever seen window ledges spiked with metal, a barred street corner, or...

The exterior of a public restroom in a park.

Opinion: Let New Yorkers be free to pee

The shortage of public restrooms is a significant hardship and a profound indignity that unhoused New Yorkers endure every day.
Steven Wang, Staff Writer November 18, 2024

In 1990, a group of unhoused New Yorkers came together to file a class-action lawsuit against the city, citing the need for more public restrooms around the city. They argued that...

In front of multiple wooden doors there are four low-rise beds with four males laying down on them.

New York City’s only refugee shelter is out of space

I sat down with We Are Not Afraid staff member Stephanie Gaitan to talk about the state of New York City’s only refugee shelter.
Blake Salesin, Staff Writer December 14, 2022

A seasonably cold and misty day gripped the city early Sunday afternoon. As I looked out my East Village window, I was preparing my desk to conduct an interview, opening my laptop...

The New Jersey side tower of the George Washington Bridge.

Opinion: New York housing programs shouldn’t exclude immigrants

One New York state assemblymember is introducing a bill that would help keep families out of overcrowded shelters, terrible conditions and in homes, regardless of their immigration status. The bill should be passed.
Blake Salesin, Staff Writer December 6, 2022

Many of the families staying at The Hotel Wolcott on West 31st Street in Manhattan’s Midtown are not in the Big Apple for a holiday vacation. They aren’t some of the thousands...

Two silver M.T.A. Metrocard vending machines with red, yellow, blue and green panels sit against a white-tiled wall.

Opinion: New York, don’t get rid of the MetroCard

The city plans to phase out the classic MetroCard in 2023 and fully replace it with OMNY. But it shouldn’t.
James Bisceglia, Contributing Writer December 6, 2022

As we begin to close the book on 2022, there’s only one thing that has been top of mind for me: 2023 will be our last year with the MetroCard, and quite frankly, I’m devastated. The...

Two people hang up a protest banner on the exterior façade of a building covered with scaffolding.

Opinion: NYU students should do more to help New York City’s unhoused population

Mayor Eric Adams’ recent campaign to ramp up sweeps of unhoused encampments makes it more important than ever for NYU students to take the initiative and support their neighbors in need.
Steph Wittstruck, Contributing Writer May 4, 2022

Amid Mayor Eric Adams' ongoing aggressive campaign against unhoused New Yorkers, the principles of mutual aid are more relevant than ever. NYU students hold a unique position in...

A portrait of Eric Adams wearing a gray suit, white collared shirt and navy blue printed tie. He stands in front of a royal blue background and an American flag on a floor stand.

Editorial: Eric Adams needs to house the homeless, not attack them

Mayor Adams wants to make our trains safer by removing unhoused individuals. His plan, unfortunately, relies heavily on policing and other forms of carceral violence.
WSN Editorial Board February 28, 2022

Michelle Go was tragically pushed to her death at a subway station by an unhoused individual on Jan. 15. Her death incited much needed conversations about the rise in crime in...

RxHome set up installations in Columbus Park on Oct. 29 and in Astor Place Plaza from Nov. 3 to Nov. 7. RxHome seeks to end homelessness by drawing NYC voters’ attention to the current system that deprives homeless individuals of benefits and rights. (Image courtesy of RxHome)

Interactive maze exhibit at Astor Place educates on homeless issues

RxHome NYC, an organization dedicated to addressing the struggles that homeless people face in New York City, opened a maze exhibit titled “The Way Home” at Astor Place from Nov. 3-7.
Talia Barrington, Contributing Writer November 17, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated New York City’s problems with homelessness. As shelters shut down and income insecurity soared, homeless people became even more vulnerable....

Homelessness is an ongoing crisis in New York City, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York City mayoral candidates have spotlighted the urgent need for affordable housing but diverge in terms of their solutions. (Staff Photo by Alexandria Johnson)

OPINION: New York City’s next mayor must prioritize supportive housing

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated New York City’s homelessness problem. Supportive housing is a sustainable solution that addresses both the financial and rehabilitative needs of many homeless individuals.
Lucy Yama, Staff Writer April 21, 2021

Homelessness is an enduring crisis in New York City. Today, the number of homeless New Yorkers sleeping in shelters increased 40% compared to 10 years ago. This rise does not even...

Survivors of Abuse Are Not Safe in Quarantine

Survivors of Abuse Are Not Safe in Quarantine

As New York has issued stay-at-home orders, it has simultaneously endangered survivors of domestic violence, trapping them at home with no means of escape. The government needs to take urgent action to protect survivors, not subject them to more trauma.
Asha Ramachandran, Deputy Opinion Editor April 9, 2020

Content warning: this article contains mentions of domestic violence. The coronavirus pandemic and government-imposed lockdowns have made surviving increasingly difficult and...

How Winnie Xu Learned to Trust Her Instincts When ‘No One Tells You’

How Winnie Xu Learned to Trust Her Instincts When ‘No One Tells You’

The CAS senior is president of Two Birds One Stone, a student club that saves an average of 42 pounds of dining hall food per day.
Sam Klein, Managing Editor December 5, 2019

Winnie Xu is walking downtown on Bowery, just south of Houston Street, carrying an aluminum tray with meatballs from Third North oozing out the corners, when a man in loose gray...

De Blasio’s Abysmal Attempt at Homeless Outreach

De Blasio’s Abysmal Attempt at Homeless Outreach

Mayor de Blasio’s Outreach NYC program is a miserable attempt at solving the city’s homelessness crisis.
Jun Sung, Deputy Opinion Editor November 19, 2019

Mayor Bill de Blasio launched Outreach NYC last week, which aims to address the city’s homelessness issue. The program encourages city workers to contact a command center when...