Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services to homeless families in New York City, is calling for New York City to reform the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) intake center.
In addition to the application process for families experiencing homelessness following the release of a new audit from New York City Comptroller Brad Lander that identifies glaring problems.
The audit comes almost two years after Win called on the Comptroller’s Office to investigate PATH’s failures.
“For too long, the city-run intake center that is supposed to welcome and help homeless families has operated as a barrier to shelter. That’s why we called for the Comptroller’s Office to audit PATH — because we should be helping women and children in need, not repeatedly traumatizing them,” said Christine C. Quinn, President & CEO of Win, the largest provider of shelter and supportive services for homeless families in New York City. “This audit is an important step toward fixing our shelter system. The results reinforce what countless homeless families have been telling Win for years, providing concrete evidence and hard data to show just how broken the PATH intake center is. With a new Mayor in office who is committed to ending homelessness, this report should serve as a clarion call for the Adams Administration to fundamentally reform PATH. Our families deserve pathways to shelter, support, services, and housing, not bureaucratic roadblocks.”
Among the most scathing audit findings, 14 of 21 families who were rejected by the Department of Homeless Services were eventually found eligible for shelter. But they had to submit, on average, 15 reapplications before being found eligible.
Among the most scathing audit findings, 14 of 21 families who were rejected by the Department of Homeless Services were eventually found eligible for shelter. But they had to submit, on average, 15 reapplications before being found eligible.
In 2019, Win released The Forgotten Face of Homelessness: Housing Instability, which detailed the needlessly complicated intake system for homeless families.
Currently, families seeking shelter — including children — are required to travel to the PATH center in the Bronx and undergo a full day of screening.
Shockingly, Win found 45 percent of families admitted to shelter had been rejected by PATH at least once.
Shockingly, Win found 45 percent of families admitted to shelter had been rejected by PATH at least once.
Two years later, Win highlighted similarly troubling data in a policy brief that found in just one month over 460 families found eligible for shelter had previously been denied by DHS.
The Comptroller’s audit reinforces these findings and shows the need to reform PATH has only grown.
Earlier this month, Win led a dozen shelter providers, advocates, and legal organizations in calling on the Adams Administration to reform PATH, starting with making pandemic-era changes permanent.
These changes include not forcing children to join their parents at PATH and allowing families who were initially found ineligible for shelter to re-apply from the shelter they were conditionally placed at, rather than requiring them to pack up their belongings and reappear at PATH in person.
Win
Win operates 13 family shelters and three supportive housing facilities across New York City.
In the past year, Win served nearly 9,200 homeless people – including more than 5,000 children – helping them to break the cycle of homelessness.
In the past year, Win served nearly 9,200 homeless people – including more than 5,000 children – helping them to break the cycle of homelessness.
Housing instability can stymie a child’s healthy socio-emotional and cognitive development, with implications for mental health, behavioral health, and success in life.
Through Camp Win, an immersive summer-long program, and another programming, Win works to provide a safe, engaging environment for children in shelters.
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