Contributing factors to homelessness in NYC
Updated January 30, 2026. Homelessness is driven by overlapping issues. Below are key data points and contributing factors with sources.
How many New Yorkers are experiencing homelessness?
The 2024 NYC Continuum of Care Point-in-Time count identified 140,134 people experiencing homelessness, including 135,737 in shelters and 4,397 unsheltered. The count also reported 87,453 people in households with children.
In January 2024, NYC DHS shelters served 89,119 people in a single night, including 34,057 asylum seekers.
National context
The 2024 HUD Annual Homeless Assessment Report estimates 771,480 people experienced homelessness on a single night nationwide, an 18% increase from 2023.
Housing costs and rent pressure
On June 30, 2025, the NYC Rent Guidelines Board voted to raise rent-stabilized leases by 3% for one-year renewals and 4.5% for two-year renewals.
Health risks and access to care
CDC notes that people experiencing homelessness face higher risk for infectious and non-infectious diseases and encounter significant barriers to health care.
In 2023, 22.8% of U.S. adults had any mental illness and 17.1% of people ages 12+ had a substance use disorder, according to SAMHSA's 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.