Nassau & Suffolk Counties Homelessness Crisis 2025: Latest Statistics, Demographics & Unsheltered Breakdown

Short Summary:

Discover the alarming 2025 homelessness surge in Nassau and Suffolk counties—over 4,500 affected, including sharp rises in seniors and families. This guide breaks down totals, elderly, children, gender trends, and unsheltered living situations like streets and encampments to fuel your advocacy efforts.

Nassau & Suffolk Counties Homelessness Crisis 2025: Latest Statistics, Demographics & Unsheltered Breakdown

Key 2025 Homelessness Statistics

Long Island's Point-in-Time (PIT) count reveals over 4,500 homeless individuals across Nassau and Suffolk—a 13% jump from 2024, the highest since tracking began in 2007. Annual experiences may reach 10,000 due to evictions and housing costs.

County Totals (Approximate from Township Data)

- Nassau County:

- Hempstead (~1,200)

- North Hempstead (~300)

- Oyster Bay (~200)

- Long Beach (~150)

- Estimated Total: ~2,175

- Suffolk County:

- Brookhaven (~700)

- Islip (~600)

- Babylon (~500)

- Huntington (~300)

- Estimated Total: ~2,500

- Combined Estimated Total for Nassau and Suffolk: >4,500

Demographic Breakdowns

- Children: ~1,500 (32% of total), mainly in families hit by rental crises.

- Elderly (55+): 825, up 22% from 670 in 2024; 45-54 age group surged 35% due to fixed incomes vs. rising costs.

- Gender:

- Males dominate single-adult rises, especially White males with disabilities.

- Females are prominent in family cases, especially Black mothers.

- Other: Chronic illness, mental health, and substance issues are common; disparities hit Black/Latino communities hardest.

Unsheltered Breakdown (Streets, Cars, Campgrounds)

- Total Unsheltered Individuals: ~400 nightly on Long Island streets; Suffolk sees 30% of single adults unsheltered (vs. 5% in NYC).

- Details:

- Streets: ~400 total nightly; encampments in Suffolk targeted by outreach.

- Cars/Vehicles: Not separately tracked in available PIT data.

- Campgrounds/Encampments: Included in unsheltered; Suffolk DSS monitors known sites amid winter counts.

For full PIT reports, contact Long Island Coalition for the Homeless.

References

1. Long Island Homelessness Explodes to Highest Levels (https://www.aol.com/articles/long-island-homelessness-explodes-highest-232310821.html

2. Long Island’s Unhoused Population Increased 32% (https://www.lihousingcoalition.org/blog-1/unhoused-population-on-long-island-increased-32

3. [Additional statistics and reports

4. Long Island's Elderly Population Issues (https://hwcli.com/long-islands-elderly-population-is-growing-and-so-is-the-groups-poverty-rate-report-finds/

5. Nassau and Suffolk Counties Work to Improve Equity (https://community.solutions/case-studies/nassau-and-suffolk-counties-work-to-improve-equity-across-their-homeless-response-system/

7. Experts Warn of More Homelessness Ahead (https://libn.com/2026/01/27/amid-bitter-cold-winter-li-experts-warn-of-more-homelessness-ahead-in-face-of-budget-cuts/

11. Long Island Coalition for the Homeless PIT Count (https://www.lihomeless.org/pitcount

#NassauHomelessness #SuffolkHomeless #LongIslandCrisis #HomelessStats2025 #ElderlyHomeless #ChildHomelessness #UnshelteredNY #HomelessOutreach #HousingCrisisLI #NYHomelessData #StreetHomeless #EncampmentCrisis #SeniorPoverty #FamilyHomeless #AdvocacyLI

References

1 (https://www.aol.com/articles/long-island-homelessness-explodes-highest-232310821.html) https://www.aol.com/articles/long-island-homelessness-explodes-highest-232310821.html (https://www.aol.com/articles/long-island-homelessness-explodes-highest-232310821.html)

2 (https://www.lihousingcoalition.org/blog-1/unhoused-population-on-long-island-increased-32) https://www.lihousingcoalition.org/blog-1/unhoused-population-on-long-island-increased-32 (https://www.lihousingcoalition.org/blog-1/unhoused-population-on-long-island-increased-32)

3 (https://www.homelesslongisland.org/post/homeless-statistics-in-nassau-and-suffolk-counties-ny) https://www.homelesslongisland.org/post/homeless-statistics-in-nassau-and-suffolk-counties-ny (https://www.homelesslongisland.org/post/homeless-statistics-in-nassau-and-suffolk-counties-ny)

4 (https://hwcli.com/long-islands-elderly-population-is-growing-and-so-is-the-groups-poverty-rate-report-finds/) https://hwcli.com/long-islands-elderly-population-is-growing-and-so-is-the-groups-poverty-rate-report-finds/ (https://hwcli.com/long-islands-elderly-population-is-growing-and-so-is-the-groups-poverty-rate-report-finds/)

5 (https://community.solutions/case-studies/nassau-and-suffolk-counties-work-to-improve-equity-across-their-homeless-response-system/) https://community.solutions/case-studies/nassau-and-suffolk-counties-work-to-improve-equity-across-their-homeless-response-system/ (https://community.solutions/case-studies/nassau-and-suffolk-counties-work-to-improve-equity-across-their-homeless-response-system/)

6 (https://libn.com/2025/09/02/long-island-senior-poverty-retirement-crisis/) https://libn.com/2025/09/02/long-island-senior-poverty-retirement-crisis/ (https://libn.com/2025/09/02/long-island-senior-poverty-retirement-crisis/)

7 (https://libn.com/2026/01/27/amid-bitter-cold-winter-li-experts-warn-of-more-homelessness-ahead-in-face-of-budget-cuts/) https://libn.com/2026/01/27/amid-bitter-cold-winter-li-experts-warn-of-more-homelessness-ahead-in-face-of-budget-cuts/ (https://libn.com/2026/01/27/amid-bitter-cold-winter-li-experts-warn-of-more-homelessness-ahead-in-face-of-budget-cuts/)

11 (https://www.lihomeless.org/pitcount) https://www.lihomeless.org/pitcount (https://www.lihomeless.org/pitcount)