NYC NOW - Morning Headlines: Aged Out Foster Youth Struggle to Find Housing, City Delays Trash Zone Reform, and Wildfire Smoke Impacts Air Quality

Episode Date: April 24, 2025

A new report shows nearly a third of foster youth who aged out of New York City’s system last year couldn’t secure housing and had to remain in care past age 21. Meanwhile, city officials say long-promised reforms to the private trash hauling industry won’t be fully in place until 2027. Plus, wildfire smoke is affecting air quality today, with health officials urging vulnerable groups to limit outdoor activity.

Welcome to NYC now. Your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. It's Thursday, April 24th. Here's the morning headlines from Michael Hill. Young adults aging out of foster care, having a hard time finding housing. WNYC's care and E reports that's leaving them longer in the city's care. A new report shows about a third of foster youth who are old enough to leave the foster care system in 2023 couldn't find a place to live. And that meant they had to stay with their foster

families or in their group homes after turning 21. Tony Turner used to be in foster care. He says while all New Yorkers are struggling to find housing... But imagine how much more difficult it is when you don't have a parental support when you don't have any credit history. Turner helped write the report for the Youth Advocacy Group, the Center for Fair Futures. It calls on the city to create more affordable units for foster youth. Turner says young people in foster care often end up in places where they don't feel safe. New York City is struggling to set up new guardrails for its notorious private trash hauling industry. It's been more than five years since the City Council passed legislation mandating the sanitation department established 20 so-called commercial waste zones across the five boroughs.

But now acting sanitation commissioner Javier Lohan says the changes will be fully implemented by the end of 2027. Every borough is unique, and I think once we get the Bronx under our belt, we will be able to have a tighter timeline. Before we roll out any of those zones, we will give the Carter's ample time. The zones aim to eliminate a decades-long practice where private garbage companies send trucks on routes across multiple burrows. That system has been tied to several deadly crashes. Some city council members are sharply criticizing the delays to the rollout. The air quality is not great today. The EPA says particle pollution from nearby wildfires is causing the air to be unhealthy for sensitive groups. People with heart or lung disease,

older adults, children, teens may want to reduce exposure by choosing less strenuous activities or shorting the amount of time outdoor activities. A mask can also help with particle pollution. Ozone levels caused by vehicle tailpipe emissions are also moderate today. 55 and mostly clear right now, sunny and 73 for a high on this Thursday morning, and then tomorrow, mostly sunny and 76, with a chance of showers overnight Friday, and then Saturday a chance of midday showers with thunderstorms a high near 71. On Sunday, we dry out with a high of 64. Thanks for listening. This is NYC now from WMYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day for your top news headlines and occasional deep dives. subscribe wherever you get your podcast. More soon.