Chinatown killings focus spotlight on New York's homeless

Drugs have been the leading cause of death among homeless men in New York for the past three years and among homeless women for the past five, according to figures from the department. Overdoses killed 86 people in 2017, and 81 in the first four months of last year, up from 12 for the same time period in 2017.

D. J. Jaffe, executive director of the independent Mental Illness Policy Org, said those with a serious mental illness-such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder-need to get immediate treatment.

"We need more hospitals. Some people need to be in a hospital. We need more group homes with on-site support. The mayor should focus on adults with a serious mental illness and not all others. That's the key. We're spending more and getting less," he said.

"We used to have a hospital-based system to treat the seriously mentally ill. Now we have a community-based system that won't accept those that are homeless, have a substance abuse problem or a criminal record. So, when community programs start excluding the most seriously ill, the only place people have to go is the streets."

The Coalition for the Homeless provides daily food, clothing, eviction prevention and crisis services for more than 3,500 homeless people, including children, in New York. While there is an extensive network of shelters across the city, there is insufficient permanent, affordable housing, the organization said.