New York's Hidden Homeless: Part 2, Shameeka's story

Continuing our series on New York's hidden homeless, as commissioned by Time Out New York guest editor-in-chief Susan Sarandon, we spent a day with Queens native Shameeka Jackson—one of more than 50,000 homeless New Yorkers in the city's shelter system. Nearly a third of those in the system work, and Jackson is one of them. She told us about her experience.

Shameeka Jackson, 37

A housekeeper at ABC Carpet & Home, Jackson works full-time, dresses professionally and earns a decent paycheck. In spite of this, she calls a YMCA shelter in Jamaica, Queens, home since February. Few know about her situation, and those who do are shocked. “I told a couple of coworkers, and they all said, ‘You don’t look homeless. I never would’ve guessed.’”

The native Brooklynite resided with her family until her thirties and decided she was “too old to live with [her] parents.” Besides, her room had already been promised to younger relatives new to the city. She wouldn’t have a bed if she needed one.

Jackson tried finding a suitable place with roommates. No dice. One apartment was “overrun with bugs, and there were mice in the fridge.” Another had a roomie who would blast music well into the morning even though Jackson had to wake up every day at 4am. And her last one had no windows, and “the heat was suffocating.”

“Life at the shelter is okay,” she says, noting it’s preferable to the hot-as-hell and bug-filled rentals she left, not to mention that she’s only there a few hours per night to sleep. “I’m left alone; I get all the privacy I need.”

But Jackson doesn’t plan to stay; she spends hours daily trying to secure a place. “It’s all just so irritating, so stressful.”

Read New York's Hidden Homeless: Part 1, Angel's Story