An annual survey of homelessness in New York City has found a 23 percent increase in the number of people living on the streets.
The city's Department of Homeless Services says volunteers counted an estimated 3,262 homeless people living on the streets on January 30. There were 2,648 counted in 2011.
Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond said Friday in a statement that the agency's greatest challenge is finding more housing options for people without homes.
Coalition for the Homeless senior policy analyst Patrick Markee criticized the survey in a statement Friday. He says the annual survey "consistently fails'' to count many unsheltered people.
Local
Decoys trained to appear homeless are placed throughout the city on the night the annual survey is undertaken to test whether volunteers are actually doing their jobs.
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Copyright AP - Associated Press
