Marsha’s House is the only shelter in the New York City Department of Homeless Services system dedicated to the LGBTQ community, which experiences disproportionately high rates of homelessness. But advocates and former residents say the shelter is far from a safe haven.

In New York City, the number of fatal opioid overdoses among people ages 55-84 has been increasing for the last four years, reaching 29 percent of the total opioid overdose deaths in 2018, according to the Dept. of Health.

City shelters accept service and emotional support animals, but homeless people with pets face an agonizing choice: give them away, or remain on the streets together.

Only six states — California, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nevada and Texas — authorize staff to carry pepper spray in secure juvenile detention, according to a brief from the Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators scheduled for publication in January 2019.

Hasidim remain the second largest Jewish group in poverty in New York, and more rely on food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), than any other public benefit.