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Homelessness

Community Voice

Internet access in homeless shelters

A multi-year advocacy effort culminated in 2026 when both houses passed the WiFi for Homeless bill requiring internet access in temporary housing statewide. The NYC Bar Association called it a major session win amid a budget-dominated calendar, tying digital access to services for people in temporary housing.

Should New York require WiFi/internet access in temporary homeless housing statewide?

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Sources

NYC Bar — https://www.nycbar.org/blogs/2026-new-york-legislative-session-wrap-up
Our biggest win this session was the WiFi for Homeless bill (A.1755-A / S.8026-A), which passed both houses of the Legislature following a multi-year City Bar-led advocacy effort from the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
NYC Bar — https://www.nycbar.org/blogs/2026-new-york-legislative-session-wrap-up
As of June 2026, nine City Bar–supported bills had passed both houses of the Legislature, led by the WiFi for Homeless bill (A.1755-A/S.8026-A) requiring internet access in temporary housing statewide.
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Mandate free high-speed WiFi in all temporary housing and expand other shelter tech services
  2. Require statewide internet access in temporary homeless housing as passed by lawmakers
  3. Support voluntary or phased WiFi programs where local providers can fund them
  4. Leave internet in shelters to local discretion without a statewide mandate
  5. Oppose statewide WiFi mandates for shelters as an unnecessary state cost

Human services provider funding

The enacted 2026 budget gave human services providers contracted by the state a 2.7 percent payment increase, covering services such as emergency shelters, after years of stagnant wages for nonprofit workers. Lawmakers’ efforts to expand which programs qualify for the annual bump—such as domestic violence programs historically excluded—were not fully adopted.

How should New York fund nonprofit human services providers and their workers?

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Sources

NY Focus — https://nysfocus.com/2026/05/29/new-york-final-state-budget-2026-funding-guide-hochul
Human services raises: Human services providers contracted by the state will see a 2.7 percent increase in payments. Nonprofits provide a range of critical services like emergency shelters, but have been fettered by stagnant wages. The budget does not specify how much of the 2.7 percent will go toward worker salaries. The budget also doesn’t take up efforts by lawmakers to expand the number or type of programs included in the annual bump, like domestic violence programs, which have been historically excluded.
Positions on this issue  ·  liberal → conservative
  1. Guarantee large annual raises and expand COLA coverage to all human services including DV programs
  2. Increase provider payments above 2.7% and require more of it go to worker wages
  3. Keep modest annual bumps like 2.7% for contracted human services providers
  4. Tie any increases to performance metrics and limit automatic across-the-board bumps
  5. Freeze or reduce state payments to nonprofit human services contractors