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COVID-19 Homeless Population Pandemic Report
SSL § 17(d-1) requires the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) to review and collect information regarding the number of confirmed COVID-19 infections among homeless persons in publicly-funded shelters during the ongoing COVID-19 State Disaster Emergency. OTDA is required to report this information on the OTDA website, and to update that report at least every three months while the State Disaster Emergency continues. On June 24, 2021, New York ended the -19COVID State Disaster Emergency.
All local social services districts are required to report to OTDA on cases of a contagious disease that require isolation, including cases of COVID-19, within publicly funded homeless shelters. OTDA used these reports from the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic through June 24, 2021 to compile the following information. In addition, OTDA is posting information regarding the number of COVID-19 infections among individuals residing in residential programs for victims of domestic violence and residential programs for runaway and homeless youth using data that has been compiled by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS).
Due to strict confidentiality protections afforded under federal and state statute and regulation to victims of domestic violence and runaway and homeless youth, OCFS relies on individual self-reported data regarding the incidence of COVID-19 in these programs. In order to provide better context, data for residential programs for victims of domestic violence and runaway and homeless youth reflects the total number and percentage of instances where a bed was provided to a COVID-positive individual during the period of December 15, 2020 through June 24, 2021.
| Sheltered* | Unsheltered | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Confirmed Cases | Deaths | Confirmed Cases | Deaths | |
| Shelter Type | ||||
| Adult | 2,076 | 81 | N/A** | N/A** |
| Adult Family | 166 | 11 | N/A** | N/A** |
| Family with Children | 1,280 | 11 | N/A** | N/A** |
| Safe Haven | 85 | 4 | N/A** | N/A** |
| Gender | ||||
| Males | 2,170 | 79 | 244 | 5 |
| Females | 1,424 | 28 | 47 | 0 |
| Transgender | 13 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Unknown | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Race/Ethnicity | ||||
| Asian | 55 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| Black | 1,947 | 61 | 119 | 2 |
| Hispanic | 961 | 18 | 53 | 2 |
| White | 419 | 14 | 58 | 2 |
| Other/Unknown | 225 | 8 | 60 | 0 |
| Age | ||||
| 0-17 | 520 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18-34 | 927 | 5 | 70 | 0 |
| 35-49 | 816 | 13 | 72 | 1 |
| 50-64 | 1,037 | 54 | 124 | 3 |
| 65+ | 307 | 35 | 31 | 2 |
| Total | 3,607 | 107 | 297 | 6 |
* For the purposes of this report, sheltered is defined as those living in Adult, Adult Family, Family with Children, or Safe Haven shelters.
** There is no data available as there is no shelter type if an individual is unsheltered.
| Confirmed Cases by Shelter Type | Hospitalizations | Deaths | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region | Adult | Family | Hotel / Motel | Mixed Population* | Total Cases | ||
| Capital | 4 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| Central NY | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Finger Lakes | 32 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 0 |
| Long Island | 57 | 67 | 13 | 2 | 139 | 5 | 1 |
| Mid-Hudson | 32 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 61 | 5 | 0 |
| Mohawk Valley | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Country | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Southern Tier | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Western NY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 130 | 113 | 15 | 6 | 264 | 11 | 2 |
* Mixed population shelters may house a mixture of Adult, Adult Family, or Family clients.
| Total number of certified programs: 130 Total number of certified beds: 1,366 |
# | % |
|---|---|---|
| Total average # and % of cases reported | 5 | < 1% |
| Total # and % of programs with one or more positive residents | 16 | 12.3% |
| Highest daily # and % of programs reporting one or more positive resident | 7 | 5.4% |
| Lowest daily # and % of programs reporting one or more positive resident | 1 | < 1% |
| Instances a bed was provided to a COVID-positive resident | % of care days occupied by COVID-positive resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | 364 | < 1% |
| Total number of licensed programs: 93 Total number of licensed beds: 3,325 |
# | % |
|---|---|---|
| Total average # of cases reported and % positive | 48 | 2.3% |
| Total # and % of programs with one or more positive residents | 32 | 34.4% |
| Highest daily # and % of programs reporting one or more positive resident | 15 | 16.1% |
| Lowest daily # and % of programs reporting one or more positive resident | 4 | 4.3% |
| Instances a bed was provided to a COVID-positive resident | % of care days occupied by COVID-positive resident | |
|---|---|---|
| Statewide | 1,879 | < 1% |