Addressing Homelessness and Hunger
November is Homelessness Awareness Month and November 17-23 is Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week.
As we all know, food insecurity is skyrocketing—we see it among the people we serve, the communities we are in, and even among some of our staff. According to the True Cost of Living Report, 50% of working households in New York City are struggling to make ends meet. 1,298,212 New Yorkers earn less than they need for basic needs.
And food scarcity increases anxiety and depression. We know that hunger doesn’t fall equally across the city – it hits particularly hard in communities of color and the people we serve.
In recent years, homelessness in New York City has reached the highest levels since the Great Depression of the 1930s. In August 2024, 132,159 people slept each night in NYC shelters. Thousands more slept unsheltered in public spaces, and more than 200,000 people slept temporarily doubled-up in the homes of others. Thus, it can be estimated that more than 350,000 people were without homes in NYC in August 2024.
Community members helping themselves to free fresh produce and pantry items at the S:US community fridge in Brooklyn.
As an organization advancing social justice, S:US is at the forefront of both hunger and homelessness. We developed a Food Security White Paper on the complexities of food insecurity, highlight innovations and best practices in food justice, and call for collective action to eradicate food insecurity in our communities. Last year, Urban Farms grew an estimated 10,200 pounds of vegetables, fruits, herbs, and honey from our farm and garden network. This is equivalent to 8,500 meals with a market value of approximately $51,000, all planted and cultivated by the people we serve. We have 75 growing spaces in Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and the Bronx, including eight community farms. In 2022, we launched our Community Fridge Program. Our Community Fridges offer free food and non-perishable items to neighbors in need at five locations in Brooklyn and the Bronx communities where we work and live.
At S:US, we operate shelters for homeless individuals and families, for people living with HIV/AIDS, for individuals with mental health challenges and for families experiencing domestic violence. And we connect homeless people to medical centers to ensure primary medical care and adherence to treatment. S:US also operates HomeBase, a homeless prevention community resource center that covers all of Manhattan and includes the 30th Street Intake Shelter and on Riker’s Island. The center provides anti-eviction services to solve immediate housing crises, divert individuals at risk from the shelter system and address other issues that place individuals at greatest risk for homelessness.