More New Yorkers are living on the streets this year than last, according to an annual survey of homelessness in the city. The Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) survey, which was conducted by the Department of Homeless Services on January 30, found the number of homeless people increased from 2,648 in 2011 to 3,262, marking an overall increase of 23 percent. Which means it's the perfect time to cut off funding to one of the city's major homeless advocacy groups! more ›

A week after the New York Post falsely conflated the work of the homeless advocacy group Picture the Homeless with "pimps" and "hookers," the paper obtained a letter from City Counsel attorney Elizabeth Fine asking for a probe of the non-profit that may shut off its funding—PTH was scheduled to receive $50K this fiscal year. The Post's subheadline for the web article begins, " 'Picture' this:" Yeah! Take that, organization working to enact meaningful social change. more ›

Recently, the NY Post reported on the "breaking and entering" practices of Bronx-based non-profit organization Picture the Homeless. The tabloid followed Picture the Homeless member, Andres Perez, as he taught a course in "homesteading" at Arlington Village, an East New York housing complex. The article questioned the group's funding, while also characterizing NYC homeless as prostitutes and drug addicts. Today, homeless advocates held a press conference outside the Post's office, slamming the tabloid while demanding the "real story" of homelessness in NYC be told. more ›

Cue the ACORN outrage: The Post reports that the taxpayer-supported organization Picture the Homeless hosts "a crash course on squatting" in city-owned buildings. more ›

Former New Jersey Gov. Richard Codey dabbled in homelessness Monday night, disguising his face with makeup and a fake beard, dressing in shabby clothes, and venturing out on the mean streets of Newark in search of shelter. But turns out it's not easy being a hobo, especially if you are mentally ill. NBC New York reports that Codey was posing as a mentally ill man who had just been released from a psychiatric ward. But after calling more than 20 shelters and care facilities in Newark, he could not find a place to spend the night, and many shelters said they would not accept mentally ill individuals, nor would they accept anyone who was not on welfare. more ›

The New York Post alleges that Occupy Wall Street shunned the homeowner of the foreclosed home in East New York that the movement reclaimed for a homeless family last month. "They’re trying to take a house and say the bank is robbing the people because the mortgage is too high—so contact the owner!" Wise Ahadzi told the paper. Ahadzi, a single father of a 3-year old and a 10-year-old, has been confirmed to be in foreclosure proceedings since 2009. more ›

Over the years, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn has come to be viewed by many New Yorkers as a pliant tool of the Bloomberg administration. But with an end to the Bloomberg era on the horizon, Quinn—a likely mayoral candidate—is eager to show some daylight between her and the billionaire plutocrat. To that end, the City Council will slap the Bloomberg administration with a lawsuit over a controversial policy requiring single homeless adults to prove they have nowhere else to stay before the city gives them shelter. more ›

On Monday night, the Ali Forney Center will host a rally in Union Square to draw attention to the thousands of homeless youth in New York. As the nation's largest LGBT youth homeless services center, the Ali Forney Center has been providing housing, meals, counseling, and primary medical care to some of New York's most vulnerable residents since June 2002. more ›

NYC released the latest annual figures on homelessness today, which revealed an increase of 33% in homelessness from last year. The Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) took place on Jan. 25; nearly 2,600 volunteers canvassed the city to discover 3,111 homeless people on streets, subways and other public spaces, an increase of 783 from 2009. Those figures don't include people living in homeless shelters, which is approximately 37,000, according to the AP. Brooklyn fared the worst, with a 114% increase from last year. Altogether, 1 in 2,688 people in NYC is homeless; for some context, 1 in 154 people are homeless in L.A. (and the rest are stuck in traffic). more ›

Last year homelessness in the NY school system was on the rise, but at 19 schools slated for closure because of poor performance, rates were especially high. "Lots of students think of this school as a home, but for some, it's more of a first home than a second home," said English teacher Christine Rowland. With their schools poised for shutdown, will homeless kids be out on the street again? more ›

The Coalition for the Homeless says "little-noticed data" shows "the number of new homeless families... has surpassed all-time record levels each of the past three months." Last month, 1,464 new families moved into the shelter system, which is the "highest one-month count since the City began keeping records 25 years ago" and it's 22% higher than September 2007. The group's head, Mary Brosnahan, told the Daily News, "While both city and state budget shortfalls require difficult choices, vulnerable New Yorkers now need more support, not less." Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Robert Hess tried to find a silver lining, "The fact that our system is withstanding the test of recent high demand is evidence that we have successfully transformed the families system and put a solid infrastructure in place." Earlier this year, NY Magazine had an article about how homelessness is the "single biggest failure of the Bloomberg administration." more ›

The Independent Budget Office issued a report noting that the number of homeless families has stayed about the same, comparing this past March with 2004 when Mayor Bloomberg promised to reduce homelessness by two-thirds in 2009, even as investment in homeless services has increased by 20%. This suggests Bloomberg is "falling way behind his goals." City Councilman Bill DeBlasio, who commissioned the report, says it's a "wakeup call." The Coalition for the Homeless has questioned whether the Bloomberg administration has addressed homelessness adequately (there was that recent NY magazine article that said it's the Bloomberg administration's "single biggest failure"), but Bloomberg said his administration is trying every day. more ›