Ulster County Emergency Housing Needs and Costs Grow Substantially – Kingston, NY (April 9, 2025) – Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher today released an Emergency Housing Snapshot report to provide the public with information on the state of emergency housing in Ulster County. Ulster County provides emergency shelter for individuals and families through emergency shelters operated by Family of Woodstock and a network of motels that accept emergency shelter placements from the Ulster County Department of Social Services.
Emergency shelter costs have grown from $3.8 million in 2020 to $13.3 million in 2024. The 2024 expenses were paid in part by funding from New York State through the Family Assistance, Safety Net Assistance, and Emergency Assistance to Adults programs, with the remainder (48.7%) borne by Ulster County taxpayers ($6.5 million). The number of nights spent in emergency housing has ballooned from 51,781 nights at $73.65 per night in 2020 to 129,170 nights at $102.86 per night in 2024. This is a 248% increase in the number of nights. The nightly cost of rentals has increased during this inflationary period.