The Post found the woman who Mayor Eric Adams used to illustrate the depths of the homelessness crisis in the city’s subway system on Friday — and those familiar with her said she’s in dire need of help.
The woman, who identified herself as Jennifer Muller, 39, was wearing an assortment of ill-fitting clothing and mismatched boots as she pushed a cart containing her belongings near the turnstiles at the Bedford Avenue station in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg neighborhood.
Muller, who spoke rapidly and in sentence fragments, wouldn’t answer most questions directly but said she’d been making her home there since she was 24.
She claimed to be related to Brooklyn-raised rap impresario Jay-Z, to have recently graduated from Columbia University and to be in love with Madonna.
She also said she was the mother of three children, alternately claiming that they’d died and that they were coming to visit her.
The woman claimed to be related to Brooklyn-raised rap phenomenon Jay-Z. Paul Martinka
Mayor Eric Adams used the 39-year-old woman to illustrate New York City’s homelessness crisis. Paul MartinkaA woman who passed by said she saw Muller inside the station “all the time,” adding, “I’m surprised she’s calm right now.”
A man said he’d frequently seen Muller bothering people.
“I feel like I grew up with this woman. I can’t believe she’s still out here and hasn’t received the help she needs,” he said.
A fed-up transit worker said, “Eric Adams has to take action because people like this lady make my job so much harder”
Muller was seen wearing ill-fitting clothing and mismatched boots. Paul Martinka“I have to clean this train station every day,” the worker said.
“It’s her home. She even used to have a mattress before. She sleeps in many different places around here. Under the steps, above the steps, right outside — and it’s sad because she needs help. Eric Adams needs to send her help.”
Adams was alerted to Muller’s plight by the MTA, a source said, and he referred to her in a speech announcing his plan to clean up the subways starting Monday by cracking down on rule-breaking and getting homeless and mentally ill people out of the system.
A subway worker said that the woman had kept a mattress at the station at one point. Paul Martinka
Mayor Eric Adams cited Jennifer Muller in his remarks about the subway homeless crisis with Gov. Kathy Hochul on Feb. 18. Paul Martinka“There’s one case where a woman has been living under the stairway in the system for months,” he said.
“This is not acceptable. Not under my administration. That is not dignity. That is disgusting. That’s not who we are as a city.”
City Hall said late Friday, “The mayor was made aware of this minutes before speaking and his plan goes into effect Monday.”
