NYC Street, Subway Homelessness Fell During Coronavirus: Study

NEW YORK CITY — Fewer New Yorkers live on the streets, in parks and along the subways after the coronavirus pandemic, a new study found.

The number of unsheltered New Yorkers fell by 38 percent in the latest HOPE Survey, which is the annual count of the city's homeless population.

In total, 2,376 people were found living without shelter when the survey was conducted in January. A year before, they numbered 3,857, according to the survey.

Mayor Bill de Blasio — who has faced sharp recent criticism over his handling of homelessness — touted the results as proof the city's approach toward helping its street homeless population is effective.

“It shows us all this outreach is working more and more,” he said.

The survey — officially dubbed the Homeless Outreach Population Estimate — only covers the segment of New York City's homeless population who live outside the city's shelter system.

But it's a group of people who have found themselves in the spotlight, especially during the pandemic.

The months-long overnight subway shutdown was, in part, fueled by Gov. Andrew Cuomo showing what he called "disgusting" images of people who are homeless on the subway.

The survey found the number of subway homeless dropped 23 percent from January 2020 to January this year. That's about 800 people who are now in shelters or other housing, said Steve Banks, the city's commissioner for homeless services.

“The numbers are important but also what’s important to understand is behind each of those numbers is a human being,” he said.