NYC Homelessness Basics
What city agency is primarily responsible for operating homeless shelters in NYC?
What is the Department of Homeless Services (DHS)?
What type of shelter serves individuals rather than families?
What is a single adult shelter?
What is the NYC hotline number to report someone who appears homeless and in need of assistance?
What is 311?
What right ensures that everyone in NYC has access to emergency shelter?
What is the right to shelter?
Name one common cause of homelessness in NYC.
What is lack of affordable housing / job loss / eviction / mental illness / domestic violence?
About how many people are homeless in NYC on any given night (as of recent years)?
What is around 60,000–70,000 people?
What is the NYC program that helps families and individuals move from shelters into permanent housing using rent subsidies?
What is CityFHEPS?
Name one organization that provides street outreach to homeless individuals in NYC.
What is Breaking Ground / Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) / Goddard Riverside / Project Renewal?
True or False: Families with children can be denied shelter in NYC.
What is False (if they meet eligibility requirements)?
What is one way the public can volunteer to support homeless New Yorkers?
What is volunteering at shelters, donating supplies, or joining outreach efforts?
What system collects data about individuals using homeless services in NYC?
What is CARES (Client Assistance and Re-housing Enterprise System)?
What does “Safe Haven” refer to in NYC’s homeless service system?
What is low-barrier housing for people coming in off the streets, offering stability without strict requirements?
What is the primary goal of outreach teams working with street homeless individuals?
What is to build trust and help them transition to housing or shelter?
What law requires that homeless students have equal access to public education?
What is the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act?
What is the “Continuum of Care” (CoC)?
What is a local planning body that coordinates housing and services funding for homeless individuals and families?
In NYC, what major court case established the “right to shelter”?
What is Callahan v. Carey (1981)?
What type of supportive housing combines affordable housing with on-site services?
What is supportive housing?
What city department oversees welfare, SNAP, and emergency assistance benefits?
What is the NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA)?
What policy prioritizes housing for individuals who have experienced long-term homelessness and have a disability?
What is the Housing First model?
What is one long-term strategy to prevent homelessness?
What is expanding affordable housing / rent stabilization / eviction prevention programs?
Which city program was launched to provide a coordinated approach to street homelessness, combining outreach, housing, and health services?
What is NYC’s HOME-STAT program?
Which state-funded program provides rental assistance to people with HIV/AIDS?
What is the HASA program (HIV/AIDS Services Administration)?
What program provides case management and assistance to chronically homeless individuals with serious mental illness or substance use disorders?
What is the ACT team (Assertive Community Treatment)?
What agency enforces civil rights protections in NYC, including against housing discrimination?
What is the NYC Commission on Human Rights?
Which NYC initiative aims to coordinate social services, housing, and public health to prevent homelessness before it begins?
What is the Mayor’s Office to Prevent Homelessness and Supportive Housing (now part of DSS)?