Categories: New York City
01.27.2025
As volunteers across New York prepare this week to do the annual PIT Count – an unduplicated count of the people in their communities experiencing sheltered and unsheltered homelessness – the Network calls on our state and city elected leaders to act boldly to curb the rising tide of homelessness.
Last month, HUD released its 2024 PIT Count, revealing a devastating 53 percent increase in total homelessness across New York State, with the number of unhoused people rising from 103,200 in 2023 to 158,019 in 2024. Accounting for 95 percent of this increase is the fact that in New York City alone, homelessness increased by 59 percent over the last year.
As we enter the 25-26 legislative season and approach this year’s PIT Count, these figures highlight an escalating crisis that must be met with quick and decisive action. The data underscores that homelessness continues to disparately impact our most vulnerable
communities:
• Over 50,000 of those experiencing homelessness were children.
• More than 14,000 were seniors.
• Black and Latino/a/e/x New Yorkers are overrepresented among our homeless count as compared to their representation in our general population – highlighting a persistent racialized inequity that must be factored into policy responses.
White New Yorkers account for 68.5 percent of the state’s population and less than half – 46 percent – of the unhoused population. Comparatively, Black New Yorkers comprise just 15.9 percent of the state population, but account for an alarming 51 percent of the unhoused population.
Disturbingly, 50 percent of those experiencing homelessness are employed, meaning that even regular work no longer guarantees housing as rents continue to outpace wages. Affordability and the lack of quality, safe housing for individuals and families continues to be a top driver of homelessness, along with a rise in mental health challenges, substance use, and the increase of deadly fentanyl in street drugs.
One bright spot is that statewide veteran homelessness has remained virtually unchanged, increasing just one percent. This stability is attributed to sustained federal investments in rental assistance, such as the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program, and robust outreach efforts. This achievement demonstrates the effectiveness of targeted, wellresourced interventions and should serve as a model for addressing homelessness among other at-risk populations.
Reversing these trends requires immediate and comprehensive action:
1. Expand Rental Assistance. Currently, only one in four eligible individuals receives housing assistance. Closing this gap is critical to prevent further housing insecurity.
2. Invest in Supportive Housing. Permanent supportive housing combines affordable housing with essential services, enabling individuals and families to achieve long-term stability.
3. Avoid Punitive Approaches to Homelessness. Replace punitive measures like street sweeps and incarceration, which only exacerbate homelessness, with compassionate, peer-led outreach and wraparound support services.
Homelessness at this scale is not inevitable. It is a failure of policy and misplaced priorities and reflects systemic gaps that can and must be addressed. As the 2025-26 legislative season begins, lawmakers have both the opportunity and the obligation to tackle this crisis head-on.
The Network stands ready to help achieve this goal. Together, we can ensure that every New Yorker has a safe and stable home.