NEW YORK (AP) — More than 1,000 volunteers ventured out on to the streets of Manhattan in below-freezing temperatures early Tuesday to help the city count its homeless.
The effort was New York City’s first official attempt to come up with an official tally.
“We believe that if you have a problem, you have to know what it’s all about in order to solve it,” said Commissioner Linda Gibbs, who heads the Department of Homeless Services.
Advocates say homeless numbers are at record highs. More than 38,000 homeless people slept nightly in city shelters as of last month, 7,400 more than the previous year, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.
“We believe that there is more we can do,” Gibbs said.