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Solving a Catch-22 for a friend
Dear John: I am a loyal reader of your column, and you seem to be the man to write to for solutions.
My 59-year-old friend Albert is on disability and has recently become homeless. About 18 months ago, his roommate died at age 89.
Albert was his friend and caretaker. The roommate had a lease on a rent-stabilized apartment, which Albert was never listed on. Even though Albert lived with him for 16 years and paid half the rent, once the roommate died the landlord wanted Albert out.
They harassed him until they finally wrote him a small check and he left. This is in the same neighborhood where I live in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Since June 2015, Albert has been couch surfing. He has not had a permanent address.
He’s using his $750 disability check and the kindness of his friends to live.
But there is some good news: We have found him affordable housing through a nonprofit organization in the Bronx. It’s a single room occupancy for about $300 a month. Not ideal, but he is willing to take it.
The trouble is that they want a picture ID like a driver’s license to prove his identity. He doesn’t have it.
I’ve looked into getting him a replacement birth certificate, but they want to see his picture ID. I’ve looked into replacing his driver’s license, but they also want a picture ID.
Even to get a NYC ID, you need four points of identifica-
tion (one with a picture) and we don’t have it. I am really at a loss here, John. Please work your magic and send me someone who can help us. M.I.
Dear M.I.: As you already know, I called the city’s Department of Human Resources Administration and within an hour, Deputy Commissioner David Neustadt was working on Albert’s problem.
Within three days of getting this letter, I’m told Albert had gotten a new food stamp card and was able to apply for the New York City ID that he needs to get housing.
“We are one step closer to securing him a permanent home,” said Albert’s friend who contacted me. “One giant step closer.”
Dear John: Any idea how many people were employed
when Obama took office and how many are working now? Thanks. B.F.
Dear B.F.: There isn’t any way of knowing how many people are working. But we do know how many jobs there are.
The difference, of course, is that many people have more than one job.
When President Obama took office in January 2009, there were 134.053 million jobs in this country, according to the Labor Department. Now the estimate is 143.774 million. That’s a gain of 9.7 million jobs.
The US had lost 4.3 million jobs between 2007 and Obama’s inauguration. So the gain from 2007 until now is around 5.4 million jobs.
Job growth has been only moderate considering that 150,000 new positions a month are thought to be needed just to absorb new workers who want to come into the workplace.
So if that estimate is correct, nearly 18 million jobs — not 9.7 million — were needed to absorb people who wanted to enter the workforce over the past nine years.