You Won’t Believe How Much NYC Spent Per Person on Homeless Services
A new York State Comptroller’s report finds that New York City spent about $81,750 per unsheltered homeless person in fiscal year 2025, as teh unsheltered population rose from pre‑pandemic levels. The study shows the unsheltered group growing from 3,588 in FY2019 to 4,504 in FY2025 (a 26% increase) and total spending on services for this group increasing from about $102 million to roughly $368 million (a 262% rise). Spending as a share of the Department of Homeless Services’ total budget also climbed-from just under 5% to nearly 9%. The report notes that, when counting those with access to shelter, New York City’s homeless population is around 140,000, and calls to the city’s non-emergency 311 line reporting homeless encampments averaged about 4,000 annually in 2025, up from 3,576 in 2024.
Key points:
– Definitions: the state distinguishes between “homeless” and “unsheltered homeless” for statistical purposes.
– Per-person cost for unsheltered services in FY2025: $81,750; in FY2019, the city spent a little over $28,000 per unsheltered person.
– Total spending for unsheltered services rose from $102 million (FY2019) to nearly $368 million (FY2025).
– The report emphasizes a rising unsheltered population despite shelter availability and calls for tighter oversight of how funds are spent and wich services are effective.
– Recommendations from Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli include tracking outcomes for those who seek services, publicizing DHS contract performance, increasing oversight, and providing clearer details on housing placements.
– Political and policy context: NYC mayor Zohran Mamdani has placed housing at the center of his agenda but reversed a prior stance on sweeping homeless encampments after harsh winter conditions; the report coincides with broader media coverage and political debate about homelessness and city responses.
– Additional context: reporting sources include the state comptroller and coverage from outlets such as the New York Post; the piece also references policy discourse about shelter access and encampment management.
A New York State report revealed that New York City spent more than $80,000 per person on services for chronically homeless individuals in fiscal year 2025 as that population grew from its pre-pandemic levels.
The report, released by the state comptroller last week, focused on “services for the unsheltered” and found the that population has increased from 3,588 in fiscal year 2019 to 4,504 in fiscal year 2025 — representing a 26 percent spike from pre-COVID levels, and $81,750 in spending per person.
“In that time, spending on services for this population has more than tripled, growing from $102 million in FY 2019 to nearly $368 million in FY 2025 (a 262 percent increase),” the report stated. “Its of spending has also increased, from just under 5 percent to nearly 9 percent of total [Department of Homeless Services] spending.”
Back in 2019, the city was spending a little over $28,000 per “unsheltered homeless person.”
For statistical purposes, the state differentiates between “homeless” and “unsheltered homeless.”
According to a 2025 New York comptroller’s office report, individuals considered “homeless” face a “severe form of housing insecurity” but have access to some forms of shelter.
Meanwhile, according to the New York Post, “unsheltered homeless” describes the chronic cases — “those living regularly on the streets, compared to those who are in some kind of affordable housing or long-term shelter system.”
Counting those with access to some kind of shelter, the “homeless” population of New York City is about 140,000, according to the newspaper.
The $81,750 per person figure refers to the amount spent on services to “unsheltered homeless” population of 4,500.
In addition to spending levels, there has been a sharp increase in the number of New Yorkers calling the city’s non-emergency number to report homeless camps.
“As of December 2025, the number of calls to 311 that reported sightings of homeless encampments averaged 4,000 over a 12-month period, compared to 3,576 through December 2024 — a 12 percent increase,” the report stated.
State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, author of the report, said that despite efforts from city officials to improve the situation, homelessness continues to rise.
He also noted recent spending increases must be more thoroughly reviewed to ensure that resources are going to the right place.
“The number of people living on the street in New York City has continued to grow, even as the city has been effective at providing shelter for the majority of the homeless population,” DiNapoli said, according to a news release.
He added, “The escalation in spending driven by the increase in the unsheltered population, however, merits greater focus on where resources are going and what services are working. Street homelessness is a chronic problem that requires collaborative efforts to help bring vulnerable New Yorkers into shelter and out of the cold.”
DiNapoli made several recommendations to help improve the situation, including: Tracking those who seek such services to find out if their situation ever improved; publicizing contract performances so citizens can “assess how well DHS’ outreach and service vendors are doing”; increased oversight; and more details from city officials about the type of housing people are placed into.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, has made housing a central pillar of his administration.
In February, however, he reversed one of his major policy promises that he would not sweep homeless encampments.
His reversal came after harsh weather conditions turned deadly in the city’s homeless population.
Mamdani initially paused the practice on Jan. 5, days after he assumed office.
The comptroller report was also released just days before Mamdani reportedly backed out of an interview with CBS News.
He withdrew from a planned sit-down with “CBS Sunday Morning” due to critical coverage he’d received from The Free Press, a digital outlet of CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss, according to Vanity Fair.
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