| Dear Colleagues, We need your help! On the night of Tuesday, January 24th, 2023, DSS-HRA-DHS will conduct its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Survey, a point-in-time survey undertaken each winter that helps the City estimate the number of unsheltered New Yorkers living on the street on one of the coldest nights of the year. The results gathered through this survey provide the City with valuable information that helps determine how to allocate resources to best serve New Yorkers in need with care and compassion. The night of HOPE is coming soon, and I am asking you to help us conduct this survey by canvassing streets, parks, subways, and other public spaces. For the past two years, the HOPE survey has been conducted by our homelessness outreach partners, but now we are once more asking you to join us for one night that will help unsheltered New Yorkers for the rest of the year. Volunteers are needed from approximately 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. on the night of January 24th. Just a few hours of your time will help us in our ongoing efforts to support unsheltered New Yorkers and encourage them to come off the streets and subways. Thanks to the efforts of past volunteers along with the ongoing 24/7/365 efforts of our street outreach teams, we have referred more than 5,000 New Yorkers experiencing unsheltered homelessness to transitional and/or permanent housing in FY22 alone. As we work to address unsheltered homelessness across our city, one person at a time, this is a great opportunity to participate in an extraordinary citywide effort. If you have volunteered before, I encourage you to sign up again. If you have yet to experience how truly rewarding a night of HOPE can be, I invite you to join us for the first time. Additionally, compensatory time may be available to you for participating – consult with your Agency and supervisor to see if this applies. The safety of everyone involved in HOPE is our highest priority. Facilities will be set up to promote social distancing, and masks and other PPE will be provided. Also, training for HOPE volunteers will be conducted remotely and volunteers will be dismissed remotely and will not be required to return to their designated HOPE site after canvassing. Please visit nyc.gov/hope to learn more and to register. Your participation is essential to helping us address the challenge of homelessness and support some of our City’s most vulnerable residents as they get back on their feet. Thank you, Gary P. Jenkins Commissioner Department of Social Services |
