Latest news with #affordability crisis
The Independent
3 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
New York City has become so unaffordable residents are giving up their pets - and shelters are packed to the gills
New York City animal shelters are becoming overwhelmed as residents surrender more and more pets amid an ongoing affordability crisis, according to a new report. The Animal Care Centers of New York City — a network of public animal shelters in Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island — told The New York Times they have 1,000 animals in their system as of last week. The shelter network is now caring for hundreds of cats, dogs and kittens. The network is also housing 50 rabbits, a dozen guinea pigs and several birds. The increase in surrenders comes as pet owners are increasingly unable to afford their furry friends, according to the Times. People are surrendering animals 'nonstop,' and the shelters are struggling to keep up, Animal Care Centers' Communications Director Katy Hansen told the newspaper. 'Not everybody is surrendering their pet because they just don't have time,' Hansen said. 'There's a lot of people that are just, like, really struggling. And it's sad. You know, they come in, they're crying.' 'I think it's just people are broke,' she added. 'The wealth gap is hitting hard.' It can cost pet owners thousands of dollars per year to take care of their animals. The ASPCA estimates cat owners pay more than $1,100 in the first year they own their pet, while large dog owners pay more than $2,000 in the first year. Meanwhile, about half of New York City families are unable to make ends meet, and the cost of basic needs is rising faster than earnings, according to a 2023 report by the non-profit United Way New York City. An ASPCA spokesperson told The Independent the agency's New York City adoption center has also seen an uptick in animals in recent weeks. 'This uptick is the result of a variety of factors, including an increase in 311 calls, criminal complaint reports and criminal cases, as well as ongoing capacity challenges that many shelters across the country are facing,' the spokesperson said. 'Summer is also generally a busier time of year for shelters as it coincides with kitten season, when shelters nationwide are flooded with vulnerable, newborn kittens who require specialized care,' the spokesperson added. It's not cheap for shelters to care for the animals, either. The Dakin Humane Society, a shelter based in Springfield, Massachusetts, estimates it costs their shelter about $950 per animal they care for. That's because animals that pass through shelters often have extra medical and behavioral needs, the Dakin Humane Society says. The Animal Care Centers of New York City says it has suspended intake as a result of this uptick, except for animals that were sent in by government agencies, animals that pose threats to the public and animals having medical emergencies. ' We can't adopt our way out,' Hansen told the Times. 'I mean, unless we did a thousand adoptions this weekend, but that's pretty unrealistic. So what is it that we can do? I don't know. I think everyone's trying to figure it out.'
Telegraph
15-07-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Cuomo declares himself ‘anti-billionaire' as he re-enters New York mayoral race
Andrew Cuomo has seemingly declared himself an 'anti-billionaire' as he re-entered the New York mayoral race. Mr Cuomo, the former New York governor, lost the Democratic primary to socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani last month but on Monday announced he would stand as a third-party candidate. Mr Mamdani was propelled to victory by a campaign focused on the cost of living, with plans to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour, freeze rent for stabilised tenants and build 200,000 affordable homes within a decade. In an interview with New York Magazine on Tuesday, Mr Cuomo likened himself to his 33-year-old rival, claiming they were both 'anti-billionaire'. 'I believe he is authentic in his political ideology… social, anti-business becomes anti-establishment, anti-billionaire,' he said of Mr Mamdani. 'Which, yeah, I'm anti-billionaire. They have too much money. Make them give it back, especially when we're having an affordability crisis.' Claims Cuomo adopted Mamdani's words The comments have prompted a row between the media and the Cuomo camp, who have pushed back on reports of their candidate's apparent adoption of Mr Mamdani's talking points. 'That's a silly manipulation of the governor's words: he was clearly explaining and mimicking Mamdani's campaign messag e and how it resonated with his supporters,' said Rich Azzopardi, Mr Cuomo's spokesman. 'That's not his position at all and both the context of the conversation makes that clear.' However, David Freedlander, the journalist who interviewed Mr Cuomo for New York Magazine, described the former governor's 'anti-billionaire' comments as his 'pitch for Mamdani voters'. As governor, Mr Cuomo pushed back on attempts by fellow Democrats in the state Senate as they attempted to impose a tax on millionaires, claiming it would cause wealthy individuals to flee New York. The state would be able to 'count on one hand the number of millionaires left' if they followed through with the plan, he said in 2019. He has also noted that one per cent of its population pay 50 per cent of its tax revenues, and blocked former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio's attempts to raise income taxes on those earning more than $500,000 in 2014. Elsewhere in the interview, Mr Cuomo said, like Mr Mamdani, he was in favour of freezing rent and introducing 'fast free buses'. 'I was not aggressive enough' Looking back on his failed primary campaign, the former governor said he had failed to cross-examine Mr Mamdani's policies, which he said would mean 'death for New York City'. 'I never really debunked his proposals because I just didn't engage. That was a mistake,' said Mr Cuomo, whom commentators criticised for running a listless campaign. 'I made a mistake. I was not as aggressive as I should be, which is really ironic because my whole life people have been saying about me, 'Oh, he's too aggressive, too combative, pushed too hard'.' He continued: 'It was just a mistake, and it's not a mistake I'm going to make again.' So far, Mr Cuomo faces an uphill battle to win the mayoral election in November, with the anti-Mamdani vote split between Eric Adams, the current mayor, Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa, and Jim Walden, an independent. 'You run a multi-candidate field, Mamdani wins,' Mr Cuomo said. 'One-on-one is the best shot, and the goal is stopping Mamdani. Whoever has the best shot to do that should go forward.'
