If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness If you are currently homeless or at risk of homelessness, contact your local Department of Social Services. Homebase is a homeless prevention network with 23 locations in the 5 boroughs of New York City. When you go to Homebase, they'll gather information to determine if you're eligible for their services and discuss your concerns. The staff will work with you to ensure that you have access to the necessary resources and, if you sign up for Homebase services, they will develop a plan with you to address your concerns.
Single men should apply for shelter in person at the 30th Street Admission Center, 400-430 East 30th Street in Manhattan. The entrance is on 30th Street and First Avenue. The shelter is open 24 hours a day. If you don't currently have housing, call 311 for help with emergency housing or learn more from the New York City Department of Homeless Services.
HomelessCantStayHome asks the City to immediately open individual hotel rooms for all homeless New Yorkers who need them. The following organizations provide rent assistance and emergency housing for the homeless. All New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) centers have interpretation services available for people who don't speak English. The city's high demand and low supply of housing are making it difficult for homeless New Yorkers looking for housing to compete with an already competitive market.
After weeks of inaction by Mayor de Blasio, City Council Speaker Johnson, a member of Councilmember Levin, introduced a bill to protect homeless New Yorkers during COVID-19. McNally hopes that the homeless crisis will improve, but fears that with the current immigration crisis and rising rents, things could get worse for people like Lee. Other cities and states have already started implementing plans to offer hotel rooms to people who are homeless (whether or not they are sick with COVID-19), including in Connecticut and New Orleans. While many homeless New Yorkers are trying to survive on the streets or in dorm-type shelters where social distancing is simply impossible, the city is full of empty hotels. Municipal rent subsidies must also be increased to reflect rents in New York City and must be available to all homeless people so that homeless New Yorkers can find permanent homes and move.
More than 21,000 homeless New Yorkers are currently sleeping head to toe in dorm-type shelters and thousands are sleeping on the streets and on the subway with nowhere to shower. The mayor's announcement offers to move 2,500 people to hotels, even though 30,000 rooms are needed to protect the homeless. Many nonprofit organizations have a relationship with the city and provide services, in addition to shelter, to people who are homeless. While hundreds of thousands of apartments and hotel rooms are left empty and New Yorkers are being told to stay at home, thousands of homeless New Yorkers have no safe place to stay.
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