Opinion: Wi-Fi Isn't a Luxury

""Every step we need to take to get out of the shelter system involves using the internet to access resources, apply for jobs, and submit rental applications. You might think shelters would provide us with a Wi-Fi connection. You'd be wrong. How many times today have you used the internet? Maybe you sent an email, found directions, paid for the subway, or talked to a doctor? In 2025, the internet isn't a luxury-it's how we access our everyday lives.""

"Last month, the New York City Council passed a requirement for the city to develop an Internet Master Plan to achieve low-cost access to broadband internet in homes throughout the city. But what about the hundreds of thousands of people, like us, who don't have homes? People sleep every night in shelters that don't provide internet connectivity. The city's omission of our needs is a glaring disservice at a moment when New York's homelessness crisis is only getting worse."

"When you're choosing between groceries and a cellular plan, personal internet access isn't a given-and that makes rebuilding your life nearly impossible. Finding a job, submitting housing applications, communicating with legal services, or applying for benefits all require going online. So do telehealth appointments, online coursework, and banking/managing bills: all of which are important resources for a stable life. Coalition for the Homeless estimates that 40 percent of shelters for adults lack Wi-Fi, based on data collected from its monitoring of the Department of"

The internet is essential for everyday activities including job searches, housing applications, benefits, telehealth, education, and banking. Many people living in New York City shelters lack reliable internet access, and numerous shelters do not provide Wi‑Fi. New York City enacted a requirement to develop an Internet Master Plan to expand low‑cost home broadband, but the plan overlooks people without homes who sleep in shelters. Lack of personal internet access forces difficult trade-offs between basic needs and cellular plans, making recovery and rebuilding life nearly impossible. Coalition for the Homeless estimates that 40 percent of adult shelters lack Wi‑Fi.

Read at City Limits