The Bloomberg administration's efforts to improve New York City's homeless services included creating a new homelessness prevention model, overhauling the shelter intake and eligibility process for families, and developing a temporary rental assistance program. While the administration made substantial progress in addressing homelessness, some shelter policies were criticized by homeless advocates and received negative media attention. Today, despite successes with homelessness prevention and rehousing, the city's shelter population is the largest it has ever been, and the shortage of affordable housing is worsening. This brief is one in a series examining selected social service initiatives undertaken during the Bloomberg administration.