NYC'S Homeless population up by nearly 40 percent in 2017

NEW YORK, July 6 (Xinhua) -- The homeless population in New York City in eastern U.S. increased by nearly 40 percent in 2017, according to a new survey.

The number of people living in the streets of the America's financial capital spiked by 39 percent to 3,892 this year, the highest number recorded since 2005, said an annual survey from the city's Department of Homeless Services released Wednesday.

The rise comes despite a massive effort by Mayor Bill de Blasio to convince the homeless to enter shelters.

The survey attributed the spike to milder temperatures and incomes that cannot keep up with high rents in the city. It noted that the median rent in New York City increased about 18 percent from 2005 to 2015.