More than 104,000 people slept in New York City shelters each night in July, according to the Coalition for the Homeless.

Over 4,500 people are estimated to be living on the streets, on subways and in other public places, a two-decade high.

And nearly 150,000 public school students, or roughly one in eight, didn’t have a permanent place to stay during the 2023-2024 school year.

The record numbers of homeless people in New York are perhaps the most visible symbol of the city’s high cost of living, which has become a dominant issue in the race to be the next mayor.

“We’ve been referring to this as a homelessness crisis for five decades,” said Dave Giffen, the executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless. “It’s not a homelessness crisis — it’s a housing crisis.”

The need for more housing has been a consistent talking point among the leading candidates. Here is what they say they plan to do if they are elected.