As an agency comprised of 2,000 employees, the Department of Homeless Services remains one of the largest organizations of its kind committed to preventing and addressing homelessness in New York City. As we further this mission, DHS employs a variety of innovative strategies to help families and individuals successfully exit shelter and return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible.

Collaborating with other public agencies and not-for-profit partners in the private sector, DHS works to prevent homelessness before it occurs, reduce street homelessness and assist New Yorkers to transition from shelter into appropriate permanent housing. With the installation of Commissioner Seth Diamond in 2010, DHS continues to meet its legal mandate to provide temporary, emergency shelter to those experiencing homelessness, while effectively transforming the culture of shelter from the inside out. By increasing our expectations for clients to obtain employment, DHS believes that we are better preparing households for independent living.

Critical Objectives of DHS

Although employment-focused programs and prevention services are the cornerstone of reform at DHS, these initiatives are designed to work in tandem with the other efforts of the agency. While some New Yorkers may mistakenly envision homelessness as solely the individual living on the street, it is important to remember the many facets of this important issue. Instead, most of the clients served by DHS are homeless families with children– all of whom are placed in shelter the same day they apply. In New York, unlike other cities across the nation, no one is turned away or put on a waiting list due to lack of capacity. Through this approach, we focus on the following critical objectives:

• To increase the number of households prevented from becoming homeless
• To reduce the number of individuals living on City streets
• To ensure the availability of temporary, emergency shelter for homeless individuals and families
• To reduce clients’ length of stay in shelter
• To maintain shelter safety and sanitation
• To increase client engagement and responsibility in moving to permanent housing
• To increase placements into permanent housing
• To reduce re-entries into the shelter system

As we strive to achieve these objectives, DHS is divided into nine divisions, including three that directly provide programmatic services to clients. The assorted functions of these units consider the unique backgrounds and circumstances of the families and individuals who enter our system or seek preventative care.

Adult Services

The Adult Services division provides an array of services for homeless adult families (families with no minor children) and single adults, including street outreach to individuals living on the streets, alternatives to traditional shelters such as Safe Havens and drop-in centers, general and specialized transitional facilities and assistance with securing permanent supportive housing.

Family Services

The Family Services division serves homeless families with children through a network of transitional housing facilities. These facilities aim to offer stable living situations and supportive social services– paving the way for households to return to self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Case managers at each site work with families to develop an individualized plan for regaining independence. Because we try to ensure that shelter never becomes a home, DHS has also developed a Next Step shelter model, designed to give more intensive services to families who could benefit from a more structured environment.

Prevention, Policy and Planning

Although an extensive network of homelessness prevention services never existed before Mayor Michael Bloomberg, it has since become a staple of DHS’ core mission. Every day, the Prevention Services unit at DHS disproves the notion that shelter is the only option for New Yorkers on the brink of homelessness. Through Homebase, our community-based homelessness prevention program, DHS serves clients who are at-risk for losing their housing and supervises aftercare services for households who have transitioned back to permanent housing.

With the expansion of anti-eviction legal services, and mandatory savings accounts for working families in shelter, DHS continues to assist record numbers of households return to their communities, and avoid homelessness in the first place. As we carry out our mission, we welcome the input of the community and strive to be a good neighbor to residences and businesses across the five boroughs. New Yorkers should be proud to live in a City that helps families and individuals return to self-sufficiency– encouraging clients to reach their full-potential in homes of their own.

Commissioner's Message

Organization Chart (pdf)

Career Opportunities at DHS

DHS Office of Equal Opportunity Affairs

Local Law 73 of 2003 Preliminary Implementation Plan (updated March 2006)

Local Law 40

Language Access Plan

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