Since we began tracking these statistics in 2021, the number of families with children in New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters has increased significantly. In January 2024, the total number of families staying in DHS shelters reached an all-time peak of 19,641. In 2025, there was an average of 18,057 families staying in DHS shelters each night—a 104% increase from 8,866 families in shelter each night in 2021.
As 2026 progresses, we will continue to monitor developments in the census, updating our tracker weekly to chart the number of families with children in NYC DHS shelters. In October 2025, we launched our new interactive graph, which allows you to:
1. Select a date range to view data from 2021 to the present
2. Navigate between the number of Families as well as Children, Adults, and Individuals in families with children living in NYC DHS shelters (below the graph)
3. Hover over specific dates to see past data
4. Download or print the graph as a resource
All data comes from the Daily DHS Shelter Census: https://www.nyc.gov/assets/dhs/downloads/pdf/dailyreport.pdf
These Daily Reports are aggregated into a dataset here: https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/DHS-Daily-Report/k46n-sa2m
