The homelessness situation in North America has been a significant concern for quite some time. Across the country, new architectural measures have been implemented to ensure that areas frequently visited by homeless individuals are designed to discourage them from staying there. This includes benches with extra armrests and large open spaces surrounded by small concrete spikes, both intended to prevent homeless individuals from sleeping in those locations. In Harlem, New York, locals go to great lengths to ensure that homeless people do not stay in the hallways of their buildings. However, commentators from around the country hold varying opinions on this approach.
A man known as Mike Money posted to his personal TikTok account to show how he deals with the issue of homeless individuals sleeping and defecating in the hallways and stairwells of his Harlem apartment building. In the video, he is carrying a large pot of water and walking to the end of his hallway, toward a stairwell entrance. As he talks to the camera about how the homeless issue has resulted in this particular course of action, stating, “Listen, I’m tired of telling these crackheads over and over again to leave the area. They’re [expletive], [expletive], and [expletive] up the elevators, and they gotta go.”
Immediately after explaining the situation, he carefully opens up the stairwell door and throws the entirety of the pot of water down the stairs. At the very bottom of the steps, you can see a homeless individual lying flat on the ground. You can also see that there is garbage lining the stairwell, from cigarette butts to Burger King bags. It’s clear that these particular individuals living in the building have grown tired of the money they pay in rent not being used for the building’s maintenance.
Commentators from all over the country popped up in the replies to give their opinion. However, it’s clear that many of the replies come from people who have never experienced this particular situation or don’t live in New York. One comment in particular said, “I both live in NYCHA and have been homeless. he’s not wrong, idc how it looks. you can take shelter illegally in a building and nobody will say a word if you don’t use it like your personal toilet.”
I once worked in the storage industry and can attest to this particular comment. Many people are willing to look the other way when a homeless person tries to take shelter in an occupied building, so long as the building is treated respectfully. However, the real underlying issue is the lack of services available for those suffering from homelessness, and the struggles of trying to find a safe and secure place to stay. Hopefully, the particular person who had water thrown on them in this video is able to find a different, more secure location in New York to stay moving forward.
