Constructed residential idealism. After the Second World War, the age of suburbia begins. The US government invests heavily in expanding road infrastructure, allowing citizens to extend the distance between their home and their place of work. New policies also offer subsidies for home loans. At the same time, fear of black migration from the rural south of America to New York prompts white New Yorkers to join segregated communities in the newly-built suburbs. 13% of New York City’s population (~ 800,000 people) leaves between 1970 and 1980. Suburban homeownership is more common among married couples than single occupants. However, as the original suburban population ages, many residents end up living alone. Now, females account for 30% more of the single-resident households in New York than males, largely due to elderly women outliving their spouses.

A city’s response to increasing homelessness. Supportive housing is a state-subsidized initiative where residents live independently in free or low-cost housing and receive wellness services. It is an intervention to reduce homelessness among individuals with a history of mental illness, trauma, abuse, addiction, or chronic illness. There are at least 50,000 supportive housing households in New York today.