Homelessness in New York State dropped by around 8 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to a new report from the state comptroller’s office.
The data comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) "Point in Time Count," documenting the number of people experiencing homelessness on one night in Jan. 2025. It includes people who have shelter and those who don’t.
The statistics are divided up regionally, into Continuums of Care.
Homelessness is down by around 13 percent in the Ithaca/Tompkins County Continuum of Care. The nearby Continuum of Care that covers Steuben, Allegany, Livingston, Chemung, and Schuyler counties saw an over 16 percent drop in homelessness.
However, in some parts of the Southern Tier, homelessness is up. The Continuum of Care that includes Broome, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware, Cortland, Tioga counties e saw a 35 percent increase in the number of people experiencing homelessness.
According to the report, just under a third of homeless New Yorkers are children, more than double the rate of the rest of the country.
Several regions in the Southern Tier have child homelessness numbers below the statewide rate. However, almost all are higher than the national rate, which is around 14.5 percent.
In the Continuum of Care covering Steuben, Allegany, Livingston, Chemung, and Schuyler counties, nearly a quarter of the people experiencing homelessness are children.
The rate in Broome, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware, Cortland, and Tioga Counties, is around 19 percent.
The Ithaca/Tompkins County Continuum of Care is one of two regions with a rate below the national average. Eleven percent of the county’s homeless population is made up of children.