Last night, over 80,000 New Yorkers slept in city shelters. Today, the New York City Council held a hearing on Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams' legislation to improve reporting on crimes occurring in shelters as part of the work to make them more safe and accessible to people in need.
“It is my hope that with more accurate reporting, efforts to upgrade security in shelters and enhance people’s safety and well-being will be more well-informed and overall more effective,” said Public Advocate Williams at the hearing. “As the administration seeks to revamp the shelter system, following the cold snap of last winter, we must ensure that New Yorkers experiencing homelessness not only have access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe and truly livable.”
The Public Advocate’s bill, Intro 387, would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to produce to an annual report detailing “critical incidents” occurring in shelters, including assault, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, weapons possession, arson, and theft. The annual report will also detail efforts to upgrade security and any agreements made between DHS and the New York City Police Department or other entities to enhance security.
Specifically, the reporting would include:
the number of critical incidents occurring in shelters, disaggregated by type
efforts to improve security measures in shelters
any agreements, made between the department and the NYPD or any other law enforcement entities on enhancing security in shelters
the type of security personnel present in shelters
The Public Advocate also supported a bill from Council Member Gale Brewer, Intro 99, which require DHS to report on the number and percentage of families and children who are placed within the same or in an adjoining zip code as their last address. This reporting seeks to address disruption and displacement of families moving through the city's shelter system.
Read the Public Advocate’s statement below, and watch video of the hearing here.
STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON GENERAL WELFARE
OCTOBER 28, 2026
Good morning,
As of October 2026, a total of 83,000 individuals reside within our city’s shelter system, including 51,000 families with children. Countless others brave the harsh elements outside, deterred by unsafe conditions in these shelters. My bill, Int 387, would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to produce an annual report detailing “critical incidents” occurring in shelters, including assault, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, weapons possession, arson, and theft. It is my hope that with more accurate reporting, efforts to upgrade security in shelters and enhance people’s safety and well-being will be more well-informed and overall more effective as the bill will also require that details be shared about agreements made between DHS, the New York City Police Department (NYPD), and other entities responsible for safety and security.
Under current reporting, DHS officials have classified ‘Priority 1’ incidents as the most serious, incidents involving assaults, arrests, medical crises, overdoses and deaths. In one women’s shelter, Priority 1 incidents have increased drastically, rising from 123 in 2019 to 208 in 2024. In FY25, the rate of Priority 1’s at this facility were over double the citywide average for single-adult shelters. While the rate and severity of incidents may vary across shelters, trends of violence hold true across the system especially at larger shelter sites. Bellevue, the city’s largest shelter for single-adult men, which closed earlier this year for redevelopment, was also characterized by violence.
I also want to uplift the other piece of legislation being heard today, for which I am a proud co-sponsor. Council Member Brewer’s Int. 99 would require DHS to report on the placement of families with children into shelters, specifically the rate of families and children who are placed within the same or in an adjoining zip code as their last address prior to shelter placement. Displacement from one’s home is already a source of significant stress and emotional upheaval for families but placement in neighborhoods nearby would avoid disrupting children’s school life and routines, adding an additional layer of uncertainty and unrest. This data will better help us understand what happens when families enter the system and how we can better mitigate disruption in the lives of our youngest New Yorkers.
As the administration seeks to revamp the shelter system, following the cold snap of last winter, we must ensure that New Yorkers experiencing homelessness not only have access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe and truly livable. These bills are one step towards ensuring safety and security within shelters but I look forward to continuing this work with the agencies and this administration. Thank you.
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