A rule requiring the city to provide shelter for unhoused people is being eroded as city officials claim local agencies can’t keep up with growing demand.

A longstanding ‘right to shelter’ mandate in New York City is slowly being rolled back in response to an influx of migrants seeking asylum, causing alarm among housing advocates who say the policy has been instrumental in keeping the city’s unsheltered population low, despite the high number of unhoused residents. Sarah Holder and Kriston Capps cover the story for Bloomberg CityLab.
“The city says that the mayor does not seek to end New York’s right to shelter, but rather is asking the court for relief, since no party could have imagined the current situation when the consent decree was signed four decades ago.” As of 2021, the city’s network of shelters can accommodate 65,000 people, making unsheltered homelessness in New York a fraction of what it is in other cities with high unhoused populations.
The administration says the city is now having a hard time fulfilling the obligations of the decree as more people arrive in the city seeking shelter. “Under the mandate, homeless families with children who arrive at a shelter before 10 p.m. must be given a shelter bed the same night they request one, and single adults must be taken in within a day.” The city says demand grew by 75 percent in the last year.
Some housing advocates say the policy does need to be updated to support the adoption of more modern solutions such as the ‘housing first’ approach. As it stands, Ann Oliva, CEO for the nonprofit National Alliance to End Homelessness, says “the city is wedded to funding shelters at the expense of more permanent solutions.”
FULL STORY: What Ending ‘Right to Shelter’ Could Mean for New York City’s Homeless Population

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
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