New York City spent approximately $81,000 per homeless person in the 2025 Fiscal Year, according to a report from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, totaling nearly $368 million. The unsheltered population grew 26% over the same period, rising from 3,588 in 2019 to 4,504 in 2025, while spending on related services more than tripled.
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The report highlights that the increase in spending has outpaced the growth in the street-homeless population, raising questions about the efficiency of the city’s programs. DiNapoli emphasized that the rising costs “merit greater focus on where resources are going and what services are working,” while former City Comptroller Scott Stringer described the spending as a “clarion call to make sure every dollar counts.”
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Much of the city’s expenditure is directed toward outreach workers, short-term shelters, and low-barrier facilities, which provide meals, beds, and other basic services. However, the report found that available data does not clearly indicate whether these programs successfully transition unsheltered individuals into permanent housing.
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Nearly 97% of New York City’s homeless population has access to shelters, a proportion notably higher than other major cities. By comparison, Los Angeles, with roughly half of New York’s homeless population, reports about 70% living unsheltered. Despite the shelter capacity, street homelessness persists, fueled in part by migration and housing affordability challenges.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has continued funding for temporary housing, including a three-year $1.86 billion contract with city hotels, while proposing rent freezes and higher taxes to address broader housing pressures.
The city’s overall homeless population has risen nearly 78% since 2019, and spending on street homelessness is projected to reach $456 million by fiscal year 2026, underscoring the ongoing challenge of addressing unsheltered homelessness in New York City.
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