NYC homelessness reaches all-time high

The plight of the homeless population in New York City has been at the forefront lately.

According to the Coalition for the Homeless, homelessness has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression.

As of June, there were 58,761 homeless people in NYC.

The face of homelessness has changed so Chasing News asked who the homeless of today are and what's their story?

Meet Tammy and Chris, a couple down on their luck who comes from a background with a solid job, family, and home.

However, they now call a tiny park at a busy intersection in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn their home.

“Mayor de Blasio should do something for the homeless people, not downgrade them, upgrade them,” Chris stated.

Meanwhile, Tammy and Chris want New Yorkers to understand that they aren’t lowering the quality of life here in NY.

They are working to improve Brooklyn Park by cleaning it up as well as kicking people out who are soliciting sex and drugs to make it a safe place for children.

Studies show that the main causes of homelessness are lack of affording housing as well as job loss, which Tammy and Chris agree with and hope that Mayor de Blasio puts programs in place to address the problem.

Since 2004, shelter occupancy is up by 72%.

Quality of life may be the issue at hand, but it’s the wrong quality of life we are focusing on.