evidence: Bloomberg’s Mike 2020 approach to solving the homeless crisis, however, stands in contrast to his words and deeds during his 2002-to-2013 stint as New York City’s mayor. He promised to end chronic homelessness in the city and reduce the shelter population by two-thirds within five years. After an initial dip during his first term, homelessness ultimately rose by 71% on Bloomberg’s watch — from 31,000 people in shelters to 53,000. [...] Against this backdrop, THE CITY examined Bloomberg’s mayoral record on homelessness.