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Average number of adult families in shelters per day
Provide temporary emergency housing to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. — Ensure that individuals and families have access to emergency shelter and services.
Adult families in shelter rose sharply from FY22 to FY23 as asylum-seeking families entered the system, but the daily count has fallen each year since even though new entries kept climbing. DHS credits sustained permanent-housing placements and, in FY25, a sharper focus on reducing long-term stays for offsetting the inflow and shrinking the average daily census.
Researched July 15, 2026 — DHS, Fiscal 2024 Mayor's Management Report, DHS, Fiscal 2025 Mayor's Management Report
* Year to date — this fiscal year isn't complete, so it's not compared against prior years in the target/trend status above.
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| Fiscal year | Actual |
|---|---|
| FY22 | 1,493 families |
| FY23 | 2,416 families |
| FY24 | 2,224 families |
| FY25 | 1,956 families |
| FY26 (YTD) | Not available |
Why this is tracked
In Callahan v. Carey, a class action filed in 1979, a New York court ruled the state and city had a constitutional duty to shelter homeless men, citing New York's constitution. A consent decree finalized in 1981 formalized the City's obligation to provide food, shelter, supervision and security, and later cases, Eldredge v. Koch in 1982 and McCain v. Koch in 1986, extended that right to shelter to women and families. The Department of Homeless Services was created in 1993 to carry out this legal mandate and became an independent mayoral agency in 1999.
Callahan v. Carey - Wikipedia, The Callahan Legacy - Coalition For The Homeless
Source: DHS CARES Database — via NYC Open Data: Mayor's Management Report, Agency Performance Indicators
Coverage shown: FY22–FY26, reported monthly.
Definition: The average daily census of adult families in shelter at noon for the month. Does not include families that may not yet be assigned or are in transition to shelter at noon and those placed in overnight facilities.