Meet Gilbert Taylor, New York's New Homelessness Chief

Homeless Services Commissioner Gilbert Taylor

Michael Bloomberg’s policies on homelessness were driven by a focus on statistics and incentives. But while he was Mayor, the number of people without a home grew to more than 50,000. Now there’s a new Mayor, and Bill de Blasio has promised changes. His point-man on homelessness is Gilbert Taylor, a soft-spoken attorney who became deeply familiar with social problems while working at the city’s child welfare agency. WNYC’s Ilya Marritz spent a frigid night on the streets with Taylor, for an annual survey of the city’s homeless.