New York City
Print This Page

For Children and Families: Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH)

 

Families with children experiencing homelessness can apply for shelter at the Department of Homeless Services’ Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) center. PATH is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week (including holidays and weekends). They process shelter applications from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Find the center at 151 East 151st Street, Bronx, NY 10451.

 
Eligibility
Families who do not have alternative housing options will be offered a permanent shelter placement. Families with children younger than 21, families with a pregnant woman, and pregnant women are eligible.
 
Services
PATH will identify housing needs, provide resources to help prevent homelessness, and place families experiencing homelessness in a shelter. All families will be offered a temporary shelter placement during the application process. Interpreter assistance will be available.
 
How It Works
Once you arrive at PATH, you will first be interviewed by a Human Resources Administration (HRA) caseworker. The caseworker will inquire about your living situation and explain the services that may help you avoid entering shelter, including family mediation, anti-eviction legal services, out-of-city relocation assistance, the Family Homelessness Eviction Prevention Supplement (FHEPS), or a One-Shot Deal through HRA.
 
You may be assigned a temporary shelter placement for up to 10 days while DHS investigates the information provided during the interview. Based on the investigation, DHS determines whether you are eligible for shelter based on whether you have fully cooperated with the application and eligibility process, and have other housing options available. Reasons you might be denied shelter include:
 

  • Failure to prove that all members in your case belong to one family
  • Failure to attend meetings and interviews
  • Attempting to add someone to the “household” who does not qualify under PATH standards, or did not provide adequate information on this individual
  • Failure to provide an incomplete 2-year housing history
  • Other housing options are available to you

 
If the shelter system deems you ineligible for shelter, you have the right to reapply by phone. The phone number will be provided on your denial notice. However, if you are logged out of the shelter system, you must visit the shelter in person to reopen the application process.
 
Updated on October 7, 2024