For a summary of our first 40 years, click here
For more than 40 years, the Coalition has developed and implemented humane, cost-effective solutions to New York’s homelessness crisis. Scan the timeline below for highlights of our programs and landmark litigation, and click entries to learn more.
1979 Coalition Founders File Callahan v. Carey
1980 Police Conduct Street Sweeps Around Madison Square Garden for the DNC Convention
1981 Callahan v. Carey Consent Decree Establishes the Right to Shelter; The Coalition is Incorporated. The Crisis Intervention Program was launched.
1982 Eldredge v. Koch Extends Right to Shelter to Women
1983 McCain v. Koch Filed to Give the Right to Shelter to Families
1984 Opening of Camp Homeward Bound; Pitts v. Black
1985 Coalition Begins the Grand Central Food Program; Wilkins v. Perales
1986 Coalition Opens Albany office; McCain v. Koch; Baby Jennifer v. Koch
1987 RAP Launched; Koskinas v. Boufford; Heard v. Cuomo
1988 Coalition Houses Re-Opens; Mixon v. Grinker
1989 Shelter Census Falls
1990 SSHP created; First NY/NY Housing Agreement
1991 First Step, Bridge Building Open; Number of Families in Shelters Rises
1992 CFH v. Jensen
1993 Community Mental Health Reinvestment Act
1994 StreetWatch v. National Railroad Passenger Corp.
1995 Archie v. Grand Central Partnership
1996 Welfare Reform
1997 Homeless Population Rises
1998 Coalition Formalizes the Eviction Prevention Program; Massive Shelter Flooding
1999 Coalition Challenges Punitive Shelter Rules
2000 Bound for Success Begins; Giuliani Shelter Ejection Plan Blocked; New Poll; NY Kids Need Housing
2001 CFH Begins CAP
2002 Michael Bloomberg Takes Office; State of the Homeless; NY Kids Need Housing Campaign Continues
2003 NYS Appellate Court Allows Shelter Denial Regulations
2004 Bloomberg Announces Five-Year Plan to End Homelessness; Undercounting the Homeless; Youth Against Homelessness
2005 DRIE Established; NY/NYIII; Annual Homeless Death Reporting Requirement
2006 Timothy’s Law
2007 Bloomberg Launches Advantage Program
2008 Settlement Ensures Right to Shelter for Homeless Families with Children
2009 Bloomberg Administration Proposes Families Pay “Rent” for Shelter; Coalition Documents Bloomberg’s Lost Decade
2010 CFH Files Enforcement Order
2011 Cuomo Takes Office; Bloomberg Ends Advantage Program, Litigation Follows
2012 Number of Children in Shelter Reaches 20,000; Hurricane Sandy; Medicaid Ombudsprogram
2013 Ruling on Shelter Eligibility Rules; Shelter Census Tops 50,000
2014 De Blasio Takes Office and Initiates LINC; Coalition Leads the Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing; DRIE Expands
2015 NYC Commits to 15,000 Units of Supportive Housing
2016 Gov. Cuomo Commits to 20,000 Units of Supportive Housing; Mayor Appoints the Coalition as Monitor of Family Shelters
2017 Butler v. City of New York; NYS Releases Supportive Housing Funding; Right to Counsel in NYC
2018 House Our Future NY; Client Advisory Group Newsletter; Safe Housing for Survivors of Human Trafficking; Parity Reporting
2019 Council Requires Homeless Set-Asides in New Housing; DRIE Saves Millions
2020 Yes to HSS; COVID-19 Pandemic; Single Adult Shelter Census Climbs Above 20,000; Fisher v. City of New York and E.G. v. City of New York
2021 Massive Pandemic Rent Relief; State and City Action on Rental Assistance
Scattered Site Housing Program
The Coalition creates the Scattered Site Housing Program for people with HIV/AIDS, to help fight discrimination against people living with AIDS by housing them in private market apartments throughout several buildings.
Alternative Pathways
David Dinkins, former member of the NYS Assembly and Manhattan Borough President, is sworn in as the first Black Mayor of the City of New York, and launches “Alternative Pathways” to combat homelessness.
NY/NY Housing Agreement
The first NY/NY Housing Agreement and Housing New York Capital Investment Plan create 26,000 units of housing for homeless and low-income New Yorkers. The City is forced to end the use of welfare hotels that do not comply with the City regulations by the Legal Aid Society. The New York/New York Agreement, a joint State-City initiative, is signed by Mayor Dinkins and Governor Mario Cuomo and — by creating 3,800 units of permanent supportive housing — is the largest effort to date to create housing with on-site support services for homeless individuals living with mental illness.
The Coalition for the Homeless is unique in providing both lifesaving frontline services and groundbreaking large-scale advocacy.
