CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org 

VOCAL-NY ENCOURAGED BY HOMELESSNESS CHAPTER IN MAMDANI’S HOUSING PLAN 

NEW YORK — Today, in response to Mayor Mamdani’s housing plan announcement — which includes a chapter on homelessness with investments in supportive housing, addressing administrative delays, and strengthening pathways for people out of shelter and into permanent housing — VOCAL-NY released the following statement:

“This plan is an encouraging start to an administration that, unfortunately, has stumbled in its initial response to the mass homelessness crisis it inherited,” said Adolfo Abreu, Housing Campaigns Director at VOCAL-NY. “Ending homelessness requires bold vision and investments in eviction prevention and the construction of truly permanent and affordable homes, and the chapter on homelessness is but a beginning. Developing more affordable housing for homeless households, addressing supportive housing vacancies, and investing in the construction of more supportive housing, increased stabilization beds, and safe havens, to name a few, are important commitments in our fight to guarantee dignified housing for homeless New Yorkers. 

We’ll continue to see how the administration implements a plan to end homelessness, developed alongside homeless New Yorkers, that outlines an interrelated strategy to invest in rental assistance programs, affordable and supportive housing, and expanded housing-first programs. We hope to keep working with the administration and the New York City Council in securing these investments for homeless New Yorkers.”

BACKGROUND:

The Fiscal and Human Cost of Homelessness in NYC:

• According to the Mayor’s Management Report and the latest NYC Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS), it costs the City $8,106 per month to house a single family in a shelter, while the median citywide rent was $1,641 per month. It costs the City, on average, 5 times more to keep people in shelters rather than supporting them with permanent housing.
• In FY27 alone, NYC DSS is projected to spend $4.14 billion on shelter contracts for 86,037 individuals or approximately 44,235 households. By contrast, as of October 2025, CityFHEPS had served 145,382 individuals or approximately 65,000 households at a cost of $1.2 billion—serving nearly twice as many individuals at one third of the cost. 
• Over 4,500 individuals were sleeping unsheltered on the streets and subways of New York City on the night of January 28, 2025.
• Although one third of extremely low-income households live in rent-regulated housing, 73% are severely rent-burdened, making them vulnerable to unexpected events such as job loss or a family illness.
• 150,000 DOE students live in shelter—and have 63% rate of chronic absenteeism, double the citywide rate. 

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