ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester’s homeless population increased by 345 people over the last six years, marking a nearly 34% rise, according to a new report released by the city council president.
The report highlights the daily challenges faced by over 1,100 people experiencing homelessness in Rochester. In 2024, Rochester had the third-highest homelessness rate in New York state, with Buffalo reporting the highest and Syracuse the second highest. Recent numbers site 1,194 homeless people in Rochester in 2025, but the report notes there are likely far more. The report pulls data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development point-in-time numbers, which “underrepresents individuals who are transient, doubled up with friends or family or otherwise unstably housed” on the nights counts occur.
“We have a growing homelessness crisis,” said City Council President Miguel Melendez Jr., who commissioned the report six months ago. He attributed the rise in homelessness to a lack of affordable housing and overwhelmed shelters facing staffing shortages. Due to the scarcity of housing, the report says people are staying in shelters longer. This reduces capacity for new individuals.
Kim Hunt-Uzelac, executive co-director of programs and operations at Family Promise of Greater Rochester, said her team served about 240 families a year before the pandemic. Now, they assist over 800 families annually, affecting a broader range of people.
“A lot of our families work. So I think that’s a surprise. About 70% of the families that we assess every year are employed,” said Hunt-Uzelac. “It’s not the fault of individuals,” she continued, “It’s a systemic breakdown. It’s an intentional systemic breakdown. So I think, again, what this report I hope will get to is the fact that there are systems in place that are intentionally broken, and we need to go kind of on the foundation level to repair the cracks in our home.”
The report also includes statistics on homeless students in the city, with 2024 data showing at least 2,460 students identified as homeless within city limits. That represents a 65% increase in total number of students experiencing homelessness in Rochester schools, including charters.
Melendez Jr.’s main recommendation is to re-establish Peace Village, a city-sanctioned outdoor homeless encampment. This coincides with the other recommendation of increasing the number of low-barrier shelter options across the city and county. Currently, some homeless individuals may face a difficult time finding a shelter if they have a dog, lack personal identification, have a family, amongst many other barriers.
“For about two years we funded pallet shelters, that are sitting in storage, frankly, while we have cold weather like this. And I’ve been working with the administration. Things seem to be moving in the right direction,” said Melendez Jr.
Melendez Jr. stated he does not plan for another report or for this to become an annual report. Instead, he hopes it will guide collaborative efforts among school districts and city, state and federal leaders. He said he dropped a copy of the report off at the mayor and deputy mayor’s office. He intends to speak with the mayor about the issues outlined in the report.
News10NBC’s Erin Mahon reached out to the mayor’s office for their perspective on the report — it’s methodology, findings and recommendations. Spokeswoman Barbara Pierce told Mahon “It’s a 390 page document, we haven’t had time to go through it.”
When asked how Melendez intends to follow through on implementing the report’s recommendations, he confirmed speaking with the mayor’s office and speaking with other council members to gain their insight and support. He also noted that while homelessness predominantly occurs within the city, it is a county-level problem. Solving the issue and sourcing funding will require coordination with both county and state leaders.
To read the full report, click here.
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