A new database from the New York City Comptroller’s Office shows that the housing crisis continues to worsen, specifically affecting the youngest.
In 2023, the number of children in the largest of the city’s five shelter systems reached its highest number in almost a decade, with nearly 29,000 children between January and September.
“In the last two years we have welcomed tens of thousands of asylum seekers, many of whom have no place to stay and are therefore seeking refuge. This occurred just as the eviction moratorium that was in force during the pandemic expired” Comptroller Brad Lander said.
Aside from these factors, the comptroller also attributes the large number of homeless people to rising rents and a shortage of affordable housing.
Comptroller Lander stressed that homelessness is devastating for everyone, especially children.
Lurden Corona, a mother who lived in a shelter in the Bronx with one of her children and another on the way between 2015 and 2018, also expressed how hard this situation is.
“At that moment he couldn’t express himself well with his words but he expressed himself with his behaviors, he was sadder, his behavior completely changed everything, that was the signals he gave me that he didn’t like being there,” said the mother.
In total, about 143,000 people now spend the night in the city’s five homeless shelter systems. More than a third of them are under 18 years of age, according to municipal government data.
“We know the solution is access to permanent permanent housing and if the city and the state government really start a campaign to work for the solution (they must) create more rental assistance, help victims of violence so we can help in this crisis,” said Gabriela Sandoval Requena.
Sandoval Requena, a representative of New Destiny Housing, a community organization that focuses on creating housing for victims of domestic violence, says that although the Adams administration has increased the number of New Yorkers leaving shelters by 11% this fiscal year per month through the CityFHEPS housing subsidy, which covers much of the rent, more support is still needed especially for undocumented people.
In Corona’s case, he shared with us that he was able to leave the shelter thanks to the housing lottery system and a section 8 voucher.
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