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Tune into a virtual conversation Wednesday at 10 a.m., where New Yorkers will share their personal stories of navigating the homeless shelter system, and discuss how the city can better help families secure permanent housing. The panel is hosted by Trinity Church of Wall Street and the Family Homelessness Coalition; City Limits’ Editor Jeanmarie Evelly will moderate.
On Sunday night, more than half of the people sleeping in New York City’s homeless shelter system were families with kids, including nearly 15,000 children. While that number has declined in recent years—there were more than 24,000 kids in city shelters in 2015—it’s remained stubbornly higher than in decades past, and children saw longer stays in the system during the most recent fiscal year.
It’s also an incomplete tally: In addition to the kids staying in shelters run by the Department of Homeless Services, tens of thousands of others lived “doubled up” with friends or family in crowded apartments, or slept in cars or other public spaces during the 2020-2021 school year.
How can the next mayoral administration better support the city’s homeless families, predominately headed by Black and Latina women? How can lawmakers address some of the factors that contribute to family homelessness, such as domestic violence and evictions? What can be done to ensure families find and secure permanent housing?
A panel of experts and advocates will discuss these questions and more during a virtual discussion Wednesday entitled “Home for the Holidays: Ending Family Homelessness in NYC.” The event, hosted by Trinity Church of Wall Street and the Family Homelessness Coalition, will feature three mothers who’ve experienced homelessness directly, who will share their personal stories and offer insights on how the city can address this ongoing crisis. City Limits’ Editor Jeanmarie Evelly will moderate.
The discussion will be streamed online Wednesday, from 10 to 11 a.m. You can RSVP here.
City Limits’ series on family homelessness in New York City is supported by Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York and The Family Homelessness Coalition. City Limits is solely responsible for the content and editorial direction.