Volunteers Sought for Nightly Homeless Count Under Mamdani's Leadership
As Mayor Zohran Mamdani seeks to tackle homelessness head-on in his administration, New York City is now calling on volunteers to help conduct an annual count of homeless individuals living on the streets. The federal government requires cities receiving federal funding to conduct this count, which aims to steer resources and services towards those not residing in shelters.
Last year's Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) count revealed that nearly 4,500 New Yorkers were sleeping outdoors, with a significant decrease of 360 individuals compared to the previous year. Despite this decline, New York City remains an outlier among major cities, with a unique right-to-shelter mandate ensuring that most homeless residents have access to shelter.
The city's Department of Social Services has been working to increase the number of Safe Haven and stabilization beds offering more relaxed rules than traditional shelters. Last year alone, the agency helped connect over 1,000 individuals who were formerly homeless to permanent housing.
As the count approaches on January 27th, volunteers are needed to help identify how many people are sleeping on the streets, subways, and parks between 10 pm and 4 am. Volunteers will be divided into groups across the five boroughs to conduct the count, which is crucial in understanding the scope of homelessness in New York City.
According to Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, "At a time when we're facing federal actions that threaten to gut our city's safety net...we must stand steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us." By volunteering for this count, individuals can contribute to making a difference in the lives of those struggling with homelessness.
As Mayor Zohran Mamdani seeks to tackle homelessness head-on in his administration, New York City is now calling on volunteers to help conduct an annual count of homeless individuals living on the streets. The federal government requires cities receiving federal funding to conduct this count, which aims to steer resources and services towards those not residing in shelters.
Last year's Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) count revealed that nearly 4,500 New Yorkers were sleeping outdoors, with a significant decrease of 360 individuals compared to the previous year. Despite this decline, New York City remains an outlier among major cities, with a unique right-to-shelter mandate ensuring that most homeless residents have access to shelter.
The city's Department of Social Services has been working to increase the number of Safe Haven and stabilization beds offering more relaxed rules than traditional shelters. Last year alone, the agency helped connect over 1,000 individuals who were formerly homeless to permanent housing.
As the count approaches on January 27th, volunteers are needed to help identify how many people are sleeping on the streets, subways, and parks between 10 pm and 4 am. Volunteers will be divided into groups across the five boroughs to conduct the count, which is crucial in understanding the scope of homelessness in New York City.
According to Commissioner Molly Wasow Park, "At a time when we're facing federal actions that threaten to gut our city's safety net...we must stand steadfast in our commitment to protecting the most vulnerable among us." By volunteering for this count, individuals can contribute to making a difference in the lives of those struggling with homelessness.
It's crazy how NYC still has a problem with homelessness despite all the efforts being made. I mean, 4,500 people is still way too many! 
The fact that they're increasing Safe Haven beds is a great move, but more needs to be done. Can't we just have a magic solution to end homelessness like in that movie "The Pursuit of Happyness"? 
For real tho, I'm happy to volunteer and help spread awareness about this issue. We gotta look out for each other, you know? 
. 4,500 is still way too many 
. I think it's cool that NYC has this right-to-shelter mandate tho 
. It's like, we should all be able to get help no matter what 
. We can't just sit back and expect everything to magically fix itself 
. More Safe Haven beds and stabilization services are def a good start, tho 
. Can't wait to see what numbers they come up with on Jan 27th 
I mean, I'm all for helping out, but can't we do it through some actual online platform or app instead of having to physically show up and join a group? It's 2025, come on! 
Let's just get the count done and move on, shall we? 