With shelters filled to the brim, Richard receives police tickets for sleeping on the streets.

“Trespassing means you’re breaking into something. I’m on the outside, not breaking into anything,” he told RT.

On the streets since 2003, the 46-year-old hasn’t been able to break through the competitive job market, especially in a city where unemployment has hit double digits.

For those who do have jobs, many like David say that just getting by is a struggle.

"The options that we have left are to do or die, or to move,” David, a New Yorker, told RT.

“The subway is terrible. I can't afford a taxi. If I’m late for work I lose clients and then can't afford it here anymore," he explained.

Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire financial media mogul, says his leadership is vital for four more years to deal with the unprecedented economic crisis

Journalist Jerry Mazza says Bloomberg benefits most from running the city.

“I think if a man can buy three elections in a row and spend $250 million to keep himself mayor for three terms, there's something strange about that, that seems to really deny the whole voting system," he told RT.

While the mayor's tenure has produced plummeting crime rates and environmental initiatives, critics say a one-man establishment is toxic for a diverse city needing change.

“It's a dangerous precedent to set. What if George Bush did the same thing?” David wonders.

Richard says if the mayor were really concerned about helping New Yorkers he would forsake city hall and finance housing for all those living on the streets.