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With homelessness in New York City at its highest rates since the Great Depression, ICPH launches #BeInformedNYC, to inform candidates and voters about the grave effects of poverty. The infographic campaign will share stats, trends, and stories about the hidden homeless–the unseen thousands of children and their families who cycle in and out of homeless shelters or face the threat of having nowhere to live.

Whether you are a voter who cares how effectively your tax dollars are being spent, a journalist who wants to report the facts, or a candidate for office who needs to know about one of the most pressing social issues plaguing our city, #BeInformedNYC will offer regular updates to keep you up to speed during this important election year.

What do you know about homeless families?

1 in 35 families with homeless children in NYC lived in a homeless shelter in 2011. This amounts to over 70,000 family members—enough to fill Madison Square Garden more than 3.5 times.

A typical homeless family…

  • is headed by a single mother in her late 20s with two children.
  • stayed with family or friends for one year after the mother lost her job and then entered shelter.
  • is not homeless due to substance abuse or emotional health issues.

Sources: NYC Department of Homeless Services; ICPH National Homeless Family Database; U.S. Census Bureau; National Basketball Association; Vera Institute of Justice; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.