Dutchess County has slowest growth
A New York report released last month found that the number of people without long-term housing nearly doubled between 2022 and 2024, although Dutchess County had the lowest growth rate in the state, at 11 percent.
The report, compiled by the state Comptroller’s Office, found that, from January 2022 to January 2024, New York’s homeless population grew by 50 percent, compared to 20 percent in the rest of the country.
It relied on a census conducted annually by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development that estimated about 770,000 people in the U.S. were homeless in 2024, including 140,000 in New York City and 18,000 in the rest of the state. Only Hawaii and Washington, D.C., had higher rates per capita.
The homeless population in Dutchess County grew to an estimated 705 residents. Putnam County was not broken out, but Westchester County had a 19 percent increase, to 1,611. The statewide increase was 113 percent, although nearly all of that growth was in New York City, the report said, citing an influx of asylum seekers, the end of a pandemic freeze on evictions, a lack of affordable housing and rising rents.
In a news release on Jan. 30, Dutchess County cited its “proactive approach to addressing homelessness” for its state-low growth, including street outreach, case management and two licensed social workers hired in December.
How to Get Help
Dutchess County residents who need housing or a warming center can call the Department of Community & Family Services at 845-486-3300 during business hours or call 211 or law enforcement.
Putnam County residents who need emergency housing can call the Department of Social Services & Mental Health at 845-808-1500, ext. 45233, during business hours.
The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at 800-342-3009 or dub.sh/NY-help can provide guidance for emergency benefits.
Last summer, the county Department of Community & Family Services took over operations of a Poughkeepsie shelter, known as PODS, where an eight-person team works with each resident to develop “individualized independent living plans” and provide mental health support and crisis intervention. The shelter population dropped by 33 percent from 2023 to 2024, the county said.
According to the federal data, the number of families without long-term housing in New York state tripled between 2022 and 2024, to 96,000, accounting for about 60 percent of the population. More than half of state residents without long-term housing are Black or Hispanic, and an estimated 10 percent suffer from severe mental illness or chronic substance abuse.
To its credit, New York state has the lowest rate of unsheltered homeless in the country (3.6 percent of all homeless, versus 44 percent nationally), the lowest rate of homeless seniors (2.5 percent) and the lowest rate of chronically homeless (3.6 percent).
The state has 128,000 emergency beds (compared to 76,000 in California), 95 percent of which are in shelters, according to the report. The remaining 5 percent consists of “rapid re-housing” for moving people to permanent homes, “safe havens” for people with severe mental illness and “transitional housing” with support for up to 24 months.
