New York City, also known as the Big Apple, has a reputation for being a prosperous, high-end city, the city everyone dreams of. However, NYC also has its dark side. This melancholic side of NYC can be found in the borough of Brooklyn. Though Brooklyn is known for its hipster neighborhoods, it is the second poorest borough in NYC, with a 29% poverty rate.
The borough’s high living cost, tourist attractions, and large population, along with other factors, sink the citizens into poverty. Here is the proof of the poor living condition in Brooklyn.
High level of living expense
The borough’s economy, design sector, taxes, and job market are some of the factors that affect the expenses in Brooklyn. The cost of housing, utilities, food, healthcare, and goods & services are higher compared to the state average. With the housing being 29% higher, food is 6%, and the utilities and goods & services being 5% higher.
Income inequality
Brooklyn consists of Latinos, African-Americans, and Asians. One of the biggest factors that contribute to inequality is race; these marginalized are subjected to racism. These minorities, including the single mothers, are the 80% of the households that do not have enough income.
The percentage of homelessness
In the total number of children living in poverty in NYC, Brooklyn is first. Brooklyn is home to five of the ten poorest census tracts in New York City. 20% of the citizens in Brooklyn live below the poverty line. To help you visualize this, over 21 thousand children who receive education are homeless. It is estimated to have 1,300 homeless people who are found in the subways and around 1,100 on the streets.
What is mentioned above are the chains that drag the lives of the citizens in Brooklin, especially the minority. The following are a short description of what it is like living in an area with a high cost of living as the-few.
Black New Yorkers describe racism as ‘inescapable.’ This group has seen, experienced, and lived with the discrimination they faced. They say that racism is found everywhere, and this hinders their daily activities and makes their lives more miserable. They experienced racism in housing, the workplace, and school. They constantly have to fear for their lives when iterating with the police or someone in authority.
As what these minorities experience, poverty is a cycle. The parents, who are the providers of the family, are still not able to give sufficient support to their family. This forces the children to either work part-time or completely stop going to school just to get by their day-to-day needs.
Though being a target for racism and discrimination is a disadvantage, the citizens with average income still face the flaw of Brooklyn.
The middle class is not safe from this problem. For example, a pet lover who owns or works together with pets still has to pay attention to a lot of things. The food, shelter, maintenance, and healthcare of the pets still add up to the finances that one has. They still have to take everything into account to fit the budget. So if their pet gets sick, whether they use it as an investment or as a family, they still have to look for cheap vets in Brooklyn that they can afford.
What seems to be the main problem of the Brooklyn citizens – financial problems- goes way before. The struggles that the marginalized face is rooted in more social issues that, until now, are still very prominent. Brooklyn is a wonderful place if you are privileged. The minority- the ethnic groups, the poor, and the women are the ones who feel and live on the dark side of Brooklyn.
Sources:
Cost of Living in Brooklyn, NY 2022 | RentCafe
7 Uncomfortable Truths About Living in Brooklyn (matadornetwork.com)
New Report Finds Racism is ‘Inescapable’ in New York City (ny1.com)