About Us — Coalition for the Homeless

Coalition for the Homeless is the nation's oldest advocacy and direct service organization helping homeless men, women, and children. We are dedicated to the principle that decent shelter, sufficient food, affordable housing, and the chance to work for a living wage are fundamental rights in a civilized society. Since our inception in 1981, the Coalition has worked through litigation, public education, and direct services to ensure that these goals are realized.

- What We Do
- Advocacy
- Organizing
- Resources and Research
- Programs and Services

What We Do

The Coalition provides vital services to over 3,500 New Yorkers each day. We use this frontline experience to advocate for long-term public solutions to mass homelessness that are more humane and cost-effective than current government programs.

The overarching goal of the Coalition is to move beyond warehousing homeless people in shelters by promoting and offering programs that help them regain their dignity and independence. Our 12 direct service programs are designed to engage homeless people, stabilize them, and transition them to self-sufficiency.

Advocacy

The Coalition's Advocacy Department works to promote effective, long-term solutions to the problem of modern homelessness through public education, litigation, organizing, and policy research.

From our first legal victory, Callahan v. Carey(pdf), which guaranteed the right to decent shelter, the Coalition has worked for over two decades to create long-term legal solutions to end modern mass homelessness. Other Coalition victories have directed the City to provide housing for homeless people with mental illness, secured medically appropriate shelter for HIV-ill homeless New Yorkers, established the right to vote for people with no permanent address, and resulted in daily-living skills training for foster children to help them toward independence.

By court order, Coalition for the Homeless serves as independent monitor of municipal shelters. The Advocacy Department organizes and trains volunteer monitors to inspect municipal shelters and report on conditions. It works to assure that each homeless person has consistent access to safe, appropriate shelter and supportive services.

Organizing

The Coalition has played a leading role in advocacy campaigns that have won important public investments in effective solutions to the problem of modern homelessness. In recent years the Coalition organized efforts to secure State and City funding for supportive housing for homeless people living with mental illness, as well as City and State funding for rental assistance for working homeless households.

The Coalition works closely with community groups and also organizes homeless shelter residents, through Client Advisory Boards, to play an active role in mobilizing support for critical investments in housing and support services. Through our Albany Office and our New York City headquarters, we play an active role in educating the public and our elected officials about the dimensions of the homelessness crisis and cost-effective programs to reduce homelessness.

Resources and Research

The Coalition publishes a searchable Resource Guide listing food, shelter, and other resources for the homeless. We also publish numerous studies on homelessness and related issues, as well as a periodic newsletter, Safety Net. In recent years the Coalition published Housing a Growing City: New York's Bust in Boom Times(pdf), a comprehensive analysis of New York City's growing shortage of affordable housing, and Legacy of Neglect: The Impact of Welfare Reform on New York's Homeless(pdf). The Advocacy Department also serves as a clearinghouse for data and research about homelessness in New York City.

For more information, please contact: Patrick Markee at Pmarkee@cfthomeless.org or call 212-964-5900.

Programs and Services

The Coalition for the Homeless provides a continuum of care for homeless New Yorkers with programs that provide a lifeline for homeless men, women, and children including: