Homelessness in New York More Than Doubles Over Two Years, Comptroller's Report Finds
The report highlights a 53.1% increase in homelessness from January 2023 to January 2024, a rate more than four times higher than the national average.
Homelessness in New York state has surged dramatically, more than doubling between January 2022 and January 2024, according to a report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. The report highlights a 53.1% increase in homelessness from January 2023 to January 2024, a rate more than four times higher than the national average.
The increase was primarily driven by New York City and an influx of asylum seekers, though the rest of the state also experienced significant rises. Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and surrounding counties reported some of the highest increases in homelessness outside of the city.
According to the report, the number of homeless children rose from 20,299 in 2022 to 50,773 in 2024, making up nearly one-third of New York’s total homeless population—one of the highest child homelessness rates in the country.
“New York has long had a housing affordability crisis, and more families are running out of options and ending up on the street or in shelters,” DiNapoli stated. “Many of the tens of thousands of asylum seekers that came to New York had no place to stay and drove up spending and a large portion of the growth of the homeless population. But let’s be clear, this isn’t just a New York City problem; it is impacting communities all over the state.”
Measuring homelessness can be difficult due to mobility and varying circumstances, but the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provides an annual point-in-time count each January. The most recent survey found that homelessness nationwide reached a record high of 771,480 people in 2024. In New York, more than 158,000 people were reported as homeless—accounting for approximately one in five of the country’s homeless population.
New York's homelessness rate of approximately 8 per 1,000 residents is among the highest in the nation, trailing only Hawaii and the District of Columbia. According to HUD, factors contributing to the rise include eviction proceedings, lack of affordable housing, rising rents, and the arrival of asylum seekers.
New York City accounted for 93% of the state's overall increase. The number of individuals in shelters run by the city’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS) nearly doubled from 45,343 in January 2022 to 89,119 in January 2024. Of those, 34,057 were asylum seekers, and at its peak, the city sheltered approximately 68,000 asylum seekers in total.
Additional Findings
Homelessness in New York decreased between 2020 and 2022 but rose sharply after pandemic-era eviction moratoriums ended, growing by 104% between 2022 and 2024. Only Illinois experienced a higher increase, at 180%.
Homeless individuals in New York were disproportionately Hispanic or Black, with 10% suffering from severe mental illness or chronic substance abuse.
Homelessness among veterans remained low at under 1%, and New York had among the lowest rates of senior homelessness (2.5%) and chronically homeless individuals (3.6%) compared to other states.
Outside New York City, Long Island had the largest homeless population in 2024, followed by Westchester County and the Buffalo-Niagara Falls region. The highest percentage increase occurred in Glens Falls, Saratoga Springs, and surrounding counties, with a 138% rise.
New York had the lowest rate of unsheltered homelessness in the nation at 3.6%, compared to a national average of 43.8%.
The state had the highest number of year-round emergency housing beds, totaling 127,759, largely due to shelter mandates in New York City.
New York ranked second to California in the number of permanent supportive housing units and permanent housing beds but trailed other large states in rapid rehousing beds.
Both Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Eric Adams have proposed affordable housing initiatives in their 2025 policy plans. The state is also in the midst of a five-year, $25 billion housing initiative aimed at creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes. This includes investments in housing assistance for the homeless. However, the report noted that there is limited publicly available data tracking the progress and spending of these initiatives.
DiNapoli emphasized the need for more robust efforts to prevent homelessness and provide housing assistance, particularly for families with children. He called for increased state oversight of current programs and urged expanded rental assistance and legal support for low-income households facing eviction.