NYC Spent $82K Per Unsheltered Homeless Person in 2025, Prompting Media Criticisms

New York City spent about $81,705 per unsheltered homeless person in 2025, according to a new state comptroller's report.

The Details: The figure marks a $53,277 increase from 2019. According to the city, the unsheltered homeless population grew from 3,588 to 4,504 during the same period. Reason (Center bias) highlighted that according to the report, the city doesn't clearly "publicly report details on expenses," making it "difficult to assess the use of funds." 

For Context: The median household income in New York City is $81,228. Most of New York's homeless people are sheltered. Los Angeles has the second-most homeless people in the US, at around 71,000, though about 70% are unsheltered.

Spending ≠ Solution: The Washington Post Editorial Board (Lean Left) wrote, "Any time government spending has increased by 262 percent to address a problem that has simultaneously worsened… it's essential to ask where all that extra cash is going — and whether there's a better way." The Board noted, "Homelessness is more than a problem of income... These folks have already fallen through federal, state and local welfare programs — all costly… For many, it's a problem of substance abuse and mental illness." It also included that the state comptroller said it's difficult to know where cuts should be made because the city misuses the data it has, but that "Politicians cannot be allowed to pat themselves on the back for simply spending more money on social services."

Corruption: The Washington Examiner (Lean Right) criticized New York's state leadership and cited misspent funds as a statewide issue in an opinion. It said Governor Kathy Hochul "may want to get a grip on her state's high taxes and spending, particularly the amount New York City sends to nonprofit organizations, which are given billions of dollars for unquantifiable results." The Examiner noted that a 2024 investigation of homeless funding "found widespread nepotism and self-dealing in the charity sector" that included "hiring immediate family members as senior employees" and nonprofit leaders hiring "their own for-profit firms" with taxpayer money. "Dozens of executives rake in more than $500,000 a year, and some pull in close to $1 million," it claimed. Framing the opinion through the exodus of New Yorkers to other states, namely Florida, The Examiner concluded, "Until Democrats can solve their nonprofit problem, they should not expect wealthy residents and their tax dollars to come home."

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