Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

News

De Blasio Pledges Additional 300 Beds In Youth Shelters, "Taking The Gloves Off" On Homelessness

Miranda Katz

Published Jan 8, 2016

Modified Jan 8, 2016

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

Never miss a story

Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .

Miranda Katz

Published Jan 8, 2016

Modified Jan 8, 2016

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail

We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

The mayor announced today that he will be adding 300 beds to the city's shelters for homeless and runaway youth by 2019, bringing the total number of such beds to 753. There are 20 such shelters in the city serving people ages 16-21, but they currently cannot accommodate the number of homeless youth in the city — de Blasio estimated that there are currently 66 people who would qualify for a youth shelter in adult DHS shelters, and an unknown number who are street homeless.

The city will also be adding staff at DHS shelters dedicated to informing youths that there are alternate options for them that offer services such as GED preparation and counseling.

This is the third initiative de Blasio has announced since Gilbert Taylor stepped down from the position of DHC commissioner in December and Steve Banks, de Blasio's Human Resources Administration Commissioner, was put in charge of a DHS overhaul.

"We will keep adding beds not only as quickly as possible, but as much as needed," de Blasio noted during remarks on Friday at Covenant House, a Hell's Kitchen shelter for homeless and runaway youth. "If we need more we will add more. If we need it more quickly we will produce it more quickly, because we don’t want any young person waiting.”

Forty percent of homeless youth are LGBTQ individuals, many of whom feel unsafe in DHS shelters and wind up engaging in "survival sex" to ensure a place to sleep. Referencing a study on Covenant House itself, State Senator Brad Hoylman noted that sex traffickers often wait outside at-capacity shelters to take advantage of teens who are sent away because there isn't room for them:

"It is unconscionable that oftentimes a kid will come to a shelter, knock on a door, and be turned away because there are no beds available," Hoylman said. "It’s even more unconscionable that there are johns oftentimes waiting outside to pick up those kids and traffic them for sex."

Funding for youth homelessness has been low for years, with Cuomo cutting funding for youth shelters by 50 percent in 2011. De Blasio pledged $4.7 million in city funding to add 100 beds for homeless youth in May, and these additional 300 beds will cost $14.7 million.

During his remarks on Friday, the mayor called on the state to provide assistance, expressing his hope that cuts to funding for youth shelters and preventative services for homelessness more generally will be restored.

"For two years the city of New York has made very clear to the state of New York what we needed," de Blasio said. "We have asked repeatedly for help...I am hopeful that cuts will be restored; that funding for programs that work, like anti-eviction legal services and rental subsidies, will be provided; that supportive housing, our initiative, will be matched. I’m very hopeful. Because it’s obvious it’s the right thing to do."

The mayor was particularly adamant in his desire that the governor restore funding for Advantage, a preventative program that subsidized up to $1,100 in rent for 15,000 households before Cuomo slashed its funding in 2011. However, de Blasio admitted that such programs might never solve the problem of youth homelessness, which, particularly in cases involving LGBTQ youth, often stems from an intolerant home life.

Though he did not call out his predecessor by name, de Blasio was unsparing in his criticism of the Bloomberg administration, saying that it ignored the needs of the poor and homeless. Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Bill Chong, who also worked under the previous administration, echoed this, saying there had been a "tremendous sea change" in homeless youth programs since Bloomberg left office. Under Bloomberg, funding for homeless youth was slashed by an additional $7 million.

"Why did this city tolerate this?" de Blasio demanded. "I think honestly, a mayor should be held accountable. I feel there is a blunt, very, very clear parallel to the reality on Rikers Island, the reality in our public housing developments, the reality in our schools…why was any of this tolerated? We’re not tolerating it.”

Tagged

bill de blasio

bloomberg

homeless shelter

homelessness

youth homelessness

youth shelter

Miranda Katz

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

MORE news

Forest Hills Stadium can keep its concerts under deal with neighbors

Neighbors had complained of traffic and loud concerts for years.

Ryan Kost

Published Oct 22, 2026 at 2:49 p.m. ET

NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal

Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."

Elizabeth Kim

News

NYC Council to grill Mamdani officials on collapsed Hunts Point Produce Market deal

Council Speaker Julie Menin called the $650 million plan "mission critical."

Elizabeth Kim

NYPD arrests 17-year-old in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting

Charles Lane

Ex-Adams aide accused of pocketing kickbacks from community program funds

Samantha Max

MTA to begin 6-year project to upgrade signal tech on A and C lines in Brooklyn and Queens

Ramsey Khalifeh

Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .