The Homeless Alliance of WNY publishes reports of homelessness in the five-county region that we serve. The information is from HMIS, departments of social services, and providers. HMIS serves as the primary data source and nearly all agencies in the five-county area who are not on HMIS provide aggregate counts. Increased coverage of HMIS has led to an improved understanding of homelessness in Western New York

Homeless Alliance of New York

English

The Homeless Alliance of WNY publishes reports of homelessness in the five-county region that we serve. The information is from HMIS, departments of social services, and providers. HMIS serves as the primary data source and nearly all agencies in the five-county area who are not on HMIS provide aggregate counts. Increased coverage of HMIS has led to an improved understanding of homelessness in Western New York.2017_homelessness_summary_brief_AC.pdf: 26 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

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2017 Homelessness Summary Brief

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Cornell University ILR School 
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Buffalo Commons Centers, Institutes, Programs 
7-10-2018 
2017 Homelessness Summary Brief 
Homeless Alliance of New York 
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2017 Homelessness Summary Brief 
Abstract 
The Homeless Alliance of WNY publishes reports of homelessness in the five-county region that we 
serve. The information is from HMIS, departments of social services, and providers. HMIS serves as the 
primary data source and nearly all agencies in the five-county area who are not on HMIS provide 
aggregate counts. Increased coverage of HMIS has led to an improved understanding of homelessness in 
Western New York. 
Keywords 
homelessness, buffalo, housing 
This article is available at DigitalCommons@ILR: https://digitalcommons.ilr.cornell.edu/buffalocommons/383 
1 
 
2017 Homelessness Summary Brief 
Overall: NY-508 Continuum of Care 
 
 
 
 
Homelessness is one of the most difficult experiences people have in our community, resulting in 
8,200 people experiencing the traumatic instability that results from losing housing. 
 
Homelessness decreased slightly, however its persistence is cause for concern. Efforts in the 
community to reduce homelessness among particular subpopulations, such as the chronically 
homeless or veterans, have been successful due to data-driven, targeted efforts to ensure there 
are sufficient housing resources available that meet these population’s needs. The same tactics 
can be applied to the broader community through efforts to secure more affordable, 
sustainable housing. The common denominator for everyone lost their housing is that they lived 
circumstances where they could not afford it. 
 
The Continuum of Care refers to the unified geography covered by the HUD HEARTH Act 
Continuum of Care grants. The Homeless Alliance of WNY is the lead agency for this region, 
which includes Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties, coordinating the 
application and facilitating strategic dialog between grantees of this grant and other funding 
sources to ensure a unified, effective, and efficient effort to end homelessness in the region. The 
Homeless Alliance also operates the local Homeless Management Information System, also 
known as BAS-Net(Buffalo Area Services- NETwork) which collects information on all HUD-funded 
and voluntarily participating non-HUD-funded homelessness alleviation providers, including 
outreach, emergency shelters, permanent supportive housing (including all housing first 
programs), rapid re-housing, and transitional housing providers. 
 
Key Findings and Recommendations 
Overall 
 
 
2015 
HMIS 
2015 
Estimated 
Total Count 
2016 
HMIS 
2016 
Estimated 
Total Count 
2017 
HMIS 
2017 
Estimated 
Total Count 
% 
Change 
NY-508 4769 7964 5240 8272 5378 8200 -0.8% 
Erie County 4273 5455 4690 5953 4430 5824 -2.17% 
Niagara County 469 1980 623 1813 1041 1929 +6.40% 
Genesee County - 383 104 165 201 298 +80.61% 
Orleans County - 103 35 229 252 272 +18.7% 
Wyoming County - 35 - 39 - 47 +20.51% 
Table 1: Total Homelessness 
 
Over 8,000 people were homeless in the five-county area in 2017.  
 
  
2 
 
NY-508 Point-in-Time1 Unsheltered Homeless Count Sheltered Homeless Count Total 
January 26, 2011 178 760 938 
October 26, 2011 135 N/A N/A 
January 26, 2012 106 804 910 
July 26, 2012 131 N/A N/A 
January 30, 2013 98 750 848 
January 29, 2014 64 784 848 
July 22, 2014 119 N/A N/A 
January 28, 2015 61 858 919 
January 26, 2016 57 905 962 
January 25, 2017 18 907 925 
January 24, 2018 15 942 957 
Table 2: Point-in-Time  
 
Figure 1: Total homelessness during PIT counts 
  
                                                     
1 In 2011 and 2012, NY-508 included Erie County. In 2013-2015, it included Niagara County as well. In 2016 to present, it 
includes Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties 
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
900
1000
NY-508 Continuum of Care Point-in-Time
Sheltered Homeless Count Unsheltered Homeless Count
3 
 
Methods of Tabulation 
 
ADJUSTED BY DATA SOURCE   
Source Total Adjusted Total 
HMIS Participating Providers 5448 5448 
Haven House 484 423 
Little Portion Friary 362 314 
Faith-Based Fellowship 56 49 
Back to Basics 102 89 
Erie County DSS - Hotels 542 474 
St. Luke's Estimate 50 44 
Niagara DSS Shelter Placements 438 383 
PASSAGE (DV) 141 123 
Lockport Cares 285 249 
YWCA Niagara DV Shelter 79 69 
YWCA Niagara DV TH 44 44 
God’s Woman - WINGS 20 17 
Orleans DV 22 19 
Orleans County DSS 272 238 
Wyoming County DSS 47 41 
Genesee County DSS 201 176 
Total 8593 8200 
Table 3: Overall Homelessness Tabulation 
 
Source of Information Gross Adjusted 
HMIS Participating Providers 4430 4430 
Haven House  484 423 
Little Portion Friary 362 314 
Faith-Based Fellowship 56 49 
Back to Basics 102 89 
St. Luke 50 50 
Erie County DSS - Hotels 542 471 
Total 6026 5824 
Table 4: Erie County Homelessness Tabulation 
  
4 
 
Source of Information Total Adjusted 
HMIS Participating Providers 1041 1041 
Niagara DSS Shelter Placements 438 382.7975 
PASSAGE (DV) 141 123.2293 
Lockport Cares 285 249.0806 
YWCA of the Niagara Frontier DV Shelter 79 69.04339 
YWCA of the Niagara Frontier DV TH 44 44 
God’s Woman - WINGS 20 20 
Total 2048 1929 
Table 5: Niagara County Homelessness Tabulation 
 
Source of Information Total 
Orleans DV 22 
Orleans County DSS 252 
Total 272 
Table 6: Orleans County Homelessness Tabulation 
 
Source of Information Total 
HMIS Participating Providers 97 
Genesee County DSS 201 
Total 298 
Table 7: Genesee County Homelessness Tabulation 
 
Source of Information Total 
Wyoming County DSS 47 
Total 47 
Table 8: Wyoming County Homelessness Tabulation 
 
Annual Homelessness Assessment Report Shell Repeat Percentage 
ES-FAM 0.126033 
ES-ID 0.131894 
TH-FAM 0 
TH-ID 0.007177 
Table 9: AHAR Repeat rates used to determine likely duplication among non-HMIS participating providers 
 
  
5 
 
Conclusion: Policy Recommendations 
Homelessness continues to be a persistent social problem, despite the slight decrease in the 
number of people who experienced it in the CoC service area. We recommend the following: 
• Tenant-based targeted interventions that make housing affordable, such as an increase 
in the Department of Social Service shelter allowance to match HUD Fair Market Rent 
• The state should adopt and fully fund the Home Stability Support initiative 
• The state should adopt a policy the requires any funding they provide for the provision of 
housing for those experiencing homelessness utilize Coordinated Entry in order to make 
these units available to those who are currently without housing 
• More Housing Choice Vouchers need to be made available to HUD 
• Market-based interventions to make housing more affordable, such as inclusionary 
zoning in the City of Buffalo 
• An increase in the number of one bedroom and single-room occupancy units available 
for low-income individuals 
• All Public Housing Authorities need to adopt a homeless preference based upon the HUD 
definition of “homeless” 
• Better discharge planning by the Department of Corrections, or a rapid rehousing 
program funded by the department to keep the formerly incarcerated from 
immediately entering the homelessness system 
• Efforts to assist female single parent households afford housing, particularly mothers of 
very small children 
• Engaging in all efforts to eliminate institutional racism, such that all people have equal 
and equitable access to the social and economic institutions that lead to the acquisition 
of wealth and financial resources 
The solution to homelessness is a home. 
Acknowledgements 
The Homeless Alliance of WNY facilitates strategic dialog to end homelessness in Erie, Genesee, 
Niagara, Orleans, and Wyoming Counties. Our community is as effective as it is in assisting the 
members of our community who have lost their housing because there is a strong spirit of 
collaboration.  This report would be impossible without the enthusiastic assistance of so many 
agencies in the area.  
 
Thank you to all agencies participating in HMIS, which include: 
• Altamont Veterans Program 
• Best Self Behavioral Health 
• Buffalo City Missions 
• Catholic Charities of Buffalo 
• Cazenovia Recovery Systems 
• Community Missions of the Niagara Frontier, Inc 
• Compass House 
• Eagle Star Emergency Housing 
• Erie County Department of Mental Health 
• Evergreen Health Services 
6 
 
• Family & Children’s Service of Niagara 
• Family Promise of WNY 
• Gerard Place 
• Jericho Road Community Health Centers 
• Living Opportunities of DePaul 
• Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center 
• My Place Home (Temple of Christ) 
• Niagara Gospel Rescue Mission 
• Olmsted Center for Sight (WNY 211) 
• Orleans County Department of Social Services 
• Pathstone 
• Restoration Society, Inc 
• Salvation Army of Buffalo 
• Spectrum Health Services 
• Teaching and Restoring Youth 
• Transitional Services, Inc 
• United Church Home, Inc (Plymouth Crossroads) 
• US Department of Veteran Affairs Healthcare for Homeless Veterans 
• Veteran Outreach Center 
• Veteran One-stop of Western New York 
• YWCA of Niagara Frontier 
• YWCA of Western New York 
 
Thank you to all agencies who provided aggregate or de-identified client-level data to the 
Homeless Alliance, including: 
• Back to Basics, Inc 
• Erie County Department of Social Services 
• Faith-Based Fellowship 
• Genesee County Department of Social Services 
• Haven House 
• Little Portion Friary 
• Lockport Cares 
• Niagara County Department of Social Services 
• Orleans County Department of Social Services 
• Salvation Army of Genesee 
• WINGS- God’s Woman 
• Wyoming County Department of Social Services 
• YWCA of Niagara Frontier 
 
Thank you to all of our partners in ending Veteran’s Homelessness, especially the programs 
specifically serving veterans: 
• The US Department of Veterans Affairs, Health Care for Homeless Veterans 
• Altamont Veteran Program 
• Buffalo City Mission 
• Cazenovia Recovery Systems 
• The Veteran One-Stop of WNY 
7 
 
• Veteran Outreach Center 
• Pathstone 
• The City of Buffalo 
• The City of Niagara Falls 
• The City of Tonawanda 
• The City of Lockport 
 
Thank you to everyone who participated in the BeCountedWNY effort, especially Nadia Pizarro 
of Best Self Behavioral Health for co-chairing the effort. It would not have been possible without 
the collaboration of all agencies involved: 
• Compass House 
• Casey House 
• United Church Home (Plymouth Crossroads) 
• Teaching and Restoring Youth 
• Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York 
• ReNU Niagara 
• Harvest House 
• Youth Movement 
• WNY Coalition for the Homeless 
• Lt. Col. Matt Urban Human Services Center 
• Lake Shore Behavioral Health 
• St. Paul’s Episcopal Church 
• Restoration Society, Inc. 
 
Most of all, thank you to all of the direct-service providers who give the time and labor to ensure 
that all people experiencing homelessness obtain a home. Homeless outreach workers are the 
guardian angels of our area. Thank you to advocates and policymakers who ensure there are 
enough resources to get the members of our community experiencing homelessness into 
housing. The only solution to homelessness is a home. 
 


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