Greetings!

As New York City enters 2026 under a new mayoral administration, we took a close look at what happened in family homelessness over the past year. In 2025, on average, more than 18,000 families with children were in DHS shelters each night—and over 130 families applied for shelter every day. Our latest blog breaks down the data behind the headlines and what it means for the thousands of families still turning to shelter each night.

2025 average of families with children in DHS shelter

2025 average of total individuals in families with children in DHS shelter

2025 average of children in DHS shelter

What We Were Up To in 2025:

Federal SNAP Changes Threaten Stability for NYC Families in Shelter

An examination of how recent federal changes to SNAP could increase food insecurity for families in the City's shelter system.


Common Threads Between NYC’s Rental Subsidy Programs Over 20 Years and the Impact on Homeless Families

In the Common Threads blog, we build on ICPH’s foundational historic work and look back at two decades of New York City rental subsidy programs.

What All New Yorkers Should Know About Family Homelessness

This fact sheet outlines key issues the City—under Mayor Zohran Mamdani—must prioritize to better support children and families experiencing homelessness.


Guide to Commonly Used Terms and Acronyms in Homelessness and Housing Policy (NYC and National)

A helpful reference to navigate the terms and acronyms frequently used in the family homelessness field for those new to the field, allies interested in addressing the issue, or as a handy reference.

The Hidden Homeless: Families with Children in the U.S.

An overview of family homelessness nationwide with a focus on the drivers of family homelessness, its geographic variation, and potential short- and long-term solutions.


Family Homelessness 101: New York City

This fact sheet dives into the immediate drivers of family homelessness in NYC, its impact on children, and the additional challenges families face beyond the lack of permanent housing.


Faced with Potential Federal Funding Cuts, Can NYC Curb Family Homelessness? What 20 Years of the HomeBase Prevention Program Teaches Us Today

In this blog, we propose that local officials will need to provide creative solutions if they want to see HomeBase continue to be successful.


Beyond Housing Magazine Volume 2

The January 2025 issue tied into the National Women’s Shelter Network annual conference and highlights four of the 300+ member shelters and shelter providers who make up the network.


National Women's Shelter Network 2025 Conference Exhibitor 
Interacted with hundreds of shelter network members sharing ICPH reports, books, and resources as we learned more about the experiences of homeless families, children, and providers across the nation.

Stay Tuned ...

Look in your e-mail box or in your snail mail for the February/March 2026 edition of Beyond Housing Magazine, a themed-issue focusing on student homelessness with guest articles and expertise from our dedicated ICPH readers.

We want to hear from you!

Tell us what topics you would like us to cover and email us at INFO@ICPH.org to share your latest research, webinars, resources, or stories—we may highlight it in a future newsletter.

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