By James Dysart, Associate Policy Director Released last month, the Preliminary Mayor’s Management Report (PMMR) provides early insight into fluctuations in the numbers of families living in city shelters. Between July and October 2025, the average number of families with children living in Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters declined. There was a daily average…
By: James Dysart, Associate Policy Director As we enter 2026 under a new mayoral administration, we look back at family homelessness in New York City during 2025 as an indicator of what challenges may lie ahead. In 2025, there was an average of 18,057 families with children living in NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS)…
By: Lucia Stein, Policy Assistant Families exiting shelter have historically been most successful in securing permanent housing when assisted with government housing vouchers. These vouchers can be funded through federal, state, local, or a combination of government dollars. But maintaining funding and political support for those vouchers has been a challenge, and so, in turn,…
By: James Dysart, Associate Policy Director and Lucia Stein, Policy Assistant Due to uncertainty regarding federal funding, homelessness prevention services in New York City could need additional support to continue their proven history of success. To prevent a crisis for families with children, the City and State may need to dip deep into their pockets or…
By: James Dysart, Associate Policy Director As we continue into a new year, we’re taking a moment to reflect on family homelessness in New York City in 2024. In January 2024, the number of families with children living in NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters reached an all-time high of over 19,600 families. The number of…
News and Insights is a dedicated source of the latest information and developments in family homelessness, poverty, and education. Make sure to visit this section weekly to stay informed. September 2024 US food insecurity rate rose to 13.5% in 2023 as government benefits declined and food prices soared (The Conversation) Across the United States, an increasing…
By: Maribel Maria, Policy Associate, HFH and Caroline Iosso, Senior Policy Associate, HFH As the new year begins, we’re taking a look at family homelessness in New York City in 2023. Continuing the upward trend that began in 2022, family homelessness increased considerably in 2023. As of the end of December 2023, the number of…
By Maribel Maria, Policy Associate, and Caroline Iosso, Senior Policy Associate Pregnancy is often a time of joy and anticipation, but for homeless or housing insecure parents, it can bring new stressors, especially regarding finances. Guaranteed income is a policy that has the potential to mitigate some of the costs associated with pregnancy, childbirth and…
By Maribel Maria, Policy Associate at HFH and Caroline Iosso, Senior Policy Associate at HFH This month, New York City Mayor Adams’ Administration released the Mayor’s Management Report, an annual assessment of the City’s services. Like last year, we looked at how families experiencing homelessness fared over the course of the most recent fiscal year…
By Maribel Maria, Policy Associate, HFH and Robyn Schwartz, Policy Advisor, HFH Students’ attendance rates are in the spotlight once again, with media highlighting the rising rates of absenteeism among students across New York City and the nation.1 Notably lacking in many news reports is attention to the alarming absenteeism trends among students experiencing homelessness. More…
By Maribel Maria, Policy Associate at HFH and Caroline Iosso, Senior Policy Associate at HFH This year, family homelessness in New York City rose steeply. As of mid-December, over 12,000 families with children were living in Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelters—4,000 more than at the start of the calendar year—and the Adams administration—and about…
By Robyn Schwartz, Policy Advisor, Homes for the Homeless (HFH) Last month, New York City voters approved an amendment to the City Charter that would require the City government to create a True Cost of Living measurement. This measure would track how much it costs to meet essential needs in New York City—including housing, childcare,…