The number of homeless people in an area that includes Niagara, Orleans and Erie counties rose by 81% between 2022 and 2024, according to a report from the New York State Comptroller’s Office.
The report says contributing to the rise in homelessness are eviction proceedings, lack of affordable housing and increased rents, “among others.”
The report says the number of homeless in Niagara, Erie, Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties was 1,549 in 2024.
The report, titled “New Yorkers in Need: Homelessness in New York State,” says the unhoused population grew to about 200 people in January 2024.
The number of unhoused children grew at a staggering rate — 1,900% between those two years. The rate also grew significantly among unhoused families over those two years — 1,100%. Although the total number is among the lowest in the state, the rate of homelessness among children and families is by far the highest, outpacing the rate in New York City and the overall statewide rates by about tenfold.
The statewide number of unhoused people in the report is 158,019. That’s a 113% increase overall and a 150% increase in unhoused children and a 174% increase in unhoused families, the report says.
The methodology used in the report’s calculations is called a point-in-time count. It shows the number of unhoused people on one night in January. Because of the weather, it doesn’t account for all unhoused people because they aren’t all visible. It doesn’t account for those who have temporary shelter in someone else’s home, those moving, and those outside shelters.
The report calls for more transparency to track how billions of state dollars invested in housing programs are used and the effectiveness of preventing homelessness. It also calls for more rental assistance, continuing legal support for tenants in eviction proceedings and preventative measures to stop people from becoming unhoused.
“While the state devotes substantial resources to affordable housing production and housing assistance, the surge in homelessness merits additional consideration of policies that can mitigate evictions and provide housing assistance, particularly to families with children,” the comptroller’s report concludes. “The state should greatly enhance reporting around resources allocated for housing assistance to allow for a fuller understanding of the effectiveness of current programs and an informed discussion of where additional resources may be merited, particularly with respect to expanding rental assistance.”
Go to https://tinyurl.com/2ncfrzhk to read the complete report.
— Andy Gardner of the Watertown Daily Times contributed to this report.