NY’s Homeless Population More Than Doubles in 2 Years
- The NY Pulse
- Feb 7
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 8
New York State’s homeless population has more than doubled between January 2022 and January 2024, according to a report released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The state saw a 53.1% increase in homelessness from January 2023 to January 2024, a rate more than four times the national average.
The dramatic rise in homelessness has been primarily driven by New York City, where the influx of tens of thousands of asylum seekers has strained the city’s shelter system. However, other regions across the state have also seen major spikes, particularly in Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and surrounding counties, which reported some of the highest double- and triple-digit increases.
Children and Families Among the Hardest Hit
One of the most alarming statistics from the report is the surge in homeless children:
In 2022, there were 20,299 homeless children. By 2024, that number had skyrocketed to 50,773.
Nearly one in three homeless individuals in New York is a child—one of the highest shares in the nation.
DiNapoli pointed to New York’s long-standing affordable housing crisis as a key factor, noting that more families are running out of options and being forced into shelters or the streets.
Homelessness Surging Across New York
The report relies on data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which uses an annual point-in-time count to track homelessness. In January 2024, HUD reported:
A record 771,480 people nationwide experiencing homelessness.
158,000 homeless individuals in New York, representing one in five of all homeless people in the U.S.
New York’s homelessness rate is 8 per 1,000 people, the third highest in the country, behind only Hawaii and Washington, D.C.
According to HUD, key factors driving homelessness in New York include:
The end of pandemic eviction moratoriums.
Lack of affordable housing and rising rents.
The influx of asylum seekers with no housing options.
New York City: The Epicenter of the Crisis
New York City has borne the brunt of the state’s homeless increase, accounting for 93% of the total statewide rise.
In January 2022, there were 45,343 people in NYC-run shelters.
By January 2024, that number had nearly doubled to 89,119.
Of those in NYC shelters, 34,057 were asylum seekers.
In total, NYC housed approximately 68,000 asylum seekers at the time of the count.
Other Key Findings Across the State
Outside of NYC, homelessness has also risen sharply in various regions:
Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and surrounding counties saw an increase of 138%.
Long Island had the highest number of homeless individuals outside of NYC, followed by Westchester County and the Buffalo-Niagara region.
Poughkeepsie/Dutchess County had a smaller, but still significant, 11% increase.
Demographic Breakdown of the Homeless Population
Hispanic and Black individuals are disproportionately affected.
10% of homeless individuals suffer from severe mental illness or chronic substance abuse.
Veteran homelessness remains low at less than 1%.
Senior homelessness in New York is also low at 2.5%, among the lowest in the country.
Only 3.6% of New York’s homeless population is unsheltered, compared to 43.8% nationwide, thanks in part to NYC’s shelter mandate.
New York’s Housing and Shelter System
New York has the largest number of emergency shelter beds in the country:
127,759 year-round emergency housing beds, far exceeding California’s 76,000 beds.
52,462 permanent supportive housing units, second only to California.
21,672 permanent housing beds, behind California (26,059) but ahead of Texas and Florida.
Only 4,887 rapid rehousing beds, significantly less than California (28,000), Texas (11,000), and Florida (7,500).
State and City Officials Respond
Both Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have announced new affordable housing initiatives in response to the crisis.
The state’s five-year, $25 billion housing plan aims to create or preserve 100,000 affordable homes.
Multi-year investments in homeless housing assistance and affordable housing are underway, but the report criticizes the lack of transparency on spending, goals, and results.
DiNapoli urged stronger state oversight and improved tracking of housing initiatives to ensure effectiveness.
DiNapoli: ‘More Needs to Be Done’
DiNapoli called for more aggressive action to prevent evictions and expand housing assistance, particularly for families with children.
“The state should carefully monitor and enhance reporting on the effectiveness of current programs,” DiNapoli said. “We need to determine where additional resources are needed—especially for expanding rental assistance—and continue funding legal representation for low-income households facing eviction.”
With New York leading the nation in shelter capacity, but falling short on affordable housing solutions, the state faces mounting pressure to address the root causes of homelessness before the crisis worsens further.
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