If you need shelter, you should go to a New York City Department of Homeless Services (“NYC DHS”) intake site. NYC DHS places people in shelter based on their family composition, so there are different intake sites for single adult men, single adult women, adult families, and families with children.  The City used to operate a separate intake for New Arrivals, but now everyone uses the same intake system.

If you are a single adult man, you can get shelter at 30th Street Intake Center located at 400-430 East 30th Street in Manhattan.

If you are a single adult woman, you can get shelter at Franklin Shelter, located at 1122 Franklin Avenue (near 166th Street) in the Bronx or Help Women’s Center, located at 116 Williams Avenue in Brooklyn. HELP Women’s has stairs at the entrance so, if you cannot use stairs, you should go to Franklin. Franklin also has stairs, but there is a side entrance that does not.

If you are an adult family with no minor children or pregnant people, you can get shelter at the Adult Family Intake Center (AFIC), located at 400-430 East 30th Street (at 1st Avenue) in Manhattan.

If you are a family with children or a single pregnant person, you can get shelter at PATH (Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing), located at 151 East 151st Street in the Bronx. Here is more information about the PATH intake process:

What You Need to Know About Applying for Shelter at PATH.

No. Before, New Arrivals had to go to the Arrival Center at the Roosevelt Hotel to get shelter, but the Arrival Center is now closed. You can get shelter at the same places as anyone else seeking shelter in NYC

There are two types of shelters where you may be placed. One type of shelter is run by NYC DHS, and the other type is non-DHS shelter (also known as New Arrival Sites). The New Arrival Sites include The Row, Bruckner, Austell, and Jefferson.

It depends on the type of shelter where you are placed. If you are a single adult or adult family in a New Arrival Shelter (not run by NYC DHS), shelter staff may give you a “Notice of Approval for Temporary Shelter.” This notice will state that you can stay in your current shelter for 30 or 60 days (if you are under the age of 23) and will provide the date on which the 30 or 60 days will end, unless you request an extension.  

If you are a family with children placed at The Row, located at 700 8th Avenue in Manhattan, you might still get a 60-day notice.  

If you are staying in a NYC DHS shelter, you will not receive a 30 or 60-day notice, and there is no time limit on your stay as long as you comply with shelter rules.  

If you get 30 or 60-day notice, you can request an extension to stay longer at your current shelter, and the shelter must give you more time. When it gets close to the end of the 30 or 60 days, ask shelter staff for an extension if you need more time. Make sure to ask for the extension before the date printed on the notice. You can ask for an extension as many times as you need.

If you or a member of your family has a disability or medical condition, and you need extra support in shelter as a result, you can ask for help. This kind of support is called a “reasonable accommodation.” If the disability is obvious or apparent (such as using a wheelchair), you do not need to get proof of the disability. If the disability is not obvious or apparent, you should get a letter from a medical provider (or other professional with expertise about your disability) that explains what you need in shelter and how it is connected to your disability. The person writing the letter does not need to be a doctor, but could be a therapist, social worker, or other professional who understands your disability. For more information about applying for a reasonable accommodation in NYC DHS shelter, please see:

What You Need to Know About Reasonable Accommodations in Shelter if You Have a Disability

The information in this document has been prepared by The Legal Aid Society for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. You should not act upon any information without retaining professional legal counsel.