Long Island homelessness explodes to highest level in nearly 20 years — as seniors, working families are priced out of region
The homeless population on Long Island is surging, with the region now experiencing its highest levels of housing instability in nearly two decades, according to new data.
In 2025, more than 4,500 people in Nassau and Suffolk counties were recorded as homeless—a 13% increase from 2024 and the highest number since tracking began in 2007, the Long Island Coalition for the Homeless reported.
“Most families entering homelessness during this period were working, yet rental costs outpaced wages,” said Mike Giuffrida, associate director of the coalition. He noted that part of the increase stems from a backlog of evictions that were paused during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The rise is largely being driven by middle-aged and senior residents who are increasingly priced out of the region.
“Seniors becoming homeless for the first time was a major factor in this overall increase,” Giuffrida said. He added that Long Island’s older homeless population has been steadily growing due to “skyrocketing rental costs.”
The number of homeless people aged 45-54 jumped more than 35%, the largest increase among any age group. Those over 55 rose from just over 670 in 2024 to 825 in 2025, an increase of more than 22%. Children, however, remain the largest segment of the homeless population, accounting for nearly 1,500 of the total 4,500, or 32%.
Local leaders and nonprofits are taking action as housing instability grows. Last month, Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman partnered with Long Island’s largest soup kitchen, Hempstead’s Mary Brennan INN, to provide pet food for animals belonging to homeless patrons. The month prior, Blakeman donated the abandoned Long Beach Motor Inn—previously plagued by drug use and prostitution—to a nonprofit that plans to invest $20 million to convert it into housing for struggling veterans.
In Suffolk County, officials are proactively reaching out to those in need, including visiting homeless encampments and other areas where unsheltered residents gather. “No person should go homeless or hungry. This extreme cold weather makes it even more urgent to do everything possible to provide warmth and shelter,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said.
About Post Author
