Basic Facts About New York City Homelessness
Coalition for the Homeless provides up-to-date information on New York City's homeless population. Over the past decade, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression.
New York City's Homeless Shelter Population: A Snapshot (January 31, 2010):
• Total number of homeless people: 39,256
• Number of homeless families: 10,375
• Number of homeless children: 16,346
• Number of homeless adults in families: 14,757
• Number of homeless single adults: 8,153
New York City Homelessness: The Basic Facts
New York City Homelessness: Downloads
New York City Homelessness: The Basic Facts
• Over the past decade, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s.
• In November 2009, there were more than 39,000 homeless people, including more than 10,000 homeless families with more than 16,000 homeless children, sleeping each night in the New York City municipal shelter system. Families comprise 80 percent of the homeless shelter population.
• During the past City fiscal year (FY 2009), an all-time record 120,381 different homeless men, women, and children slept in the New York City municipal shelter system. This includes an all-time record 43,826 different homeless New York City children.
• The number of homeless New Yorkers who slept in the municipal shelter system during the last fiscal year (FY 2009) was 45 percent higher than in FY 2002.
• Research shows that the primary cause of homelessness, particularly among families, is lack of affordable housing. Surveys of homeless families have identified the following major immediate causes of homelessness: eviction; doubled-up or severely overcrowded housing; domestic violence; and hazardous housing conditions.
• Research shows that, compared to homeless families, homeless single adults have significantly higher rates of serious mental illness, addiction disorders, and other severe health problems.
• Each night thousands of unsheltered homeless people sleep on New York City streets, in the subway system, and in other public spaces. There is no accurate measurement of New York City's unsheltered homeless population, and recent City surveys significantly underestimate the number of unsheltered homeless New Yorkers.
• Studies show that the large majority of street homeless New Yorkers are individuals living with mental illness or other severe health problems. Four out of five street homeless New Yorkers are men.
• As in other American cities, New York City's unsheltered homeless population is concentrated in the central business district - that is, midtown Manhattan. Surveys show that nearly 60 percent of New York City's unsheltered homeless population is in Manhattan.
• Approximately 53 percent of New York City homeless shelter residents are African-American, 32 percent are Latino, 7 percent are white, 1 percent are Asian-American, 1 percent are Native American or other race/ethnicity, and 6 percent are of unknown race/ethnicity.
• African-American and Latino New Yorkers are disproportionately affected by homelessness. Currently approximately 24 percent of New York City's total population is African-American, and 27 percent is Latino.
New York City Homelessness: Downloads
• To download a fact sheet about New York City homelessness, please click here
• To download charts illustrating the homeless shelter population in New York City, please click here.
• To download historical data about New York City's homeless shelter population, please click here.