Brooklyn Borough President

Commissioner Gibbs and Borough President Markowitz URGE Brooklynites to JOIN 2nd Annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE)

HOPE 2004 Includes Manhattan and, For the First Time, Brooklyn and Staten Island

Two Thousand Volunteers Needed for February 23 Event

January 14, 2004 – Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Linda Gibbs and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz today encouraged Brooklynites concerned with the health and safety of street homeless individuals to volunteer for the second annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate. HOPE 2004 will take place the evening of Monday, February 23, when volunteers will fan out across Manhattan and - for the first time - Brooklyn and Staten Island to identify unsheltered individuals. The initiative establishes an accurate estimate of the number of unsheltered individuals on the streets and in parks and subway stations, in order to improve outreach and engagement strategies. Officials estimate the event will require 2,000 volunteers, making it one of the largest single-day volunteer events to be held by the City this year. Individuals interested in volunteering can register online at www.nyc.gov/dhs, or by calling the citizen services center at 311.

“By expanding HOPE to Brooklyn and Staten Island, we take another critical step in understanding the numbers and needs of individuals on New York City streets,” said DHS Commissioner Linda Gibbs. “From Crown Heights and Coney Island to Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst, concerned volunteers will help individuals in need and play an important role in the City’s efforts to overcome street homelessness.”

“The lack of quality affordable housing has long been a challenge facing Brooklyn’s communities. Too often those who cannot obtain such housing are left to fend for themselves and end up on the street,” said Borough President Marty Markowitz. “Brooklynites take pride in looking out for one another. That’s why we are delighted that Brooklyn is included in HOPE 2004 and encourage Brooklynites to join this outreach effort and help the homeless in our neighborhoods.”

On the night of the estimate, volunteers will report to a designated neighborhood center and participate in an hour-long training session at 10:30. Small teams led by an experienced social service provider will then head outside to undertake the survey. Volunteers can request to survey areas close to their own neighborhood, if appropriate. The survey will begin at midnight and last from one to four hours.

HOPE is conducted on the fourth Monday of February each year. Last year’s inaguaral effort, which surveyed Manhattan, estimated 1,780 unsheltered individuals in streets, parks, and subway stations. HOPE 2004 includes

Brooklyn and Staten Island and next year’s effort will include all five boroughs, producing the first citywide estimate. “By repeating HOPE each year on the same night, we will be able to understand how the size of the unsheltered population changes over time – and see if our interventions are making a difference,”said Commissioner Gibbs.

Methodology

DHS divided each community district in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island into small area units (groups of blocks and/or park areas) that will be classified as having either a low or high concentration of unsheltered homeless individuals. These classifications are made in consultation with the New York Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Unit, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Parks Department, community groups, social service organizations, DHS outreach teams, and others. All area units that are believed to have a high density will be covered on the night of the survey. A random sample of areas believed to be low density will also be covered. Simultaneously, teams will be covering subway stations that have been selected in the same manner. All of these teams will be at work on the same night to avoid double-counting individuals. Using statistical methodology, DHS will then extrapolate from the number of unsheltered homeless individuals indentified on the night of the survey to produce an estimate of the population in each borough. The final results will be disseminated to the public and shared with organizations and groups that provide outreach and related services.

About DHS

The Department of Homeless Services contracts with nonprofit organizations to provide outreach and engagement services twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, in the five boroughs. These teams work to identify individuals living in public spaces and encourage them to seek shelter or related services. DHS operates 10 drop-in centers, where unsheltered individuals receive warm meals and a respite from the elements, as well as 50 shelters for single adult men and women.

Contact: Jim Anderson, Dept. of Homeless Services, 212-361-7971

Michael Kadish, Borough President’s Office, 718-802-3853