Most Pro-Housing Administration in City History: Mayor Adams Announces Citywide Initiative to Make Housing More Inclusive for New Yorkers With Pets

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today continued his administration’s efforts to be the most pro-housing administration in city history by announcing a coordinated, citywide initiative to make housing more inclusive for New Yorkers with pets, whether they are in permanent or temporary housing. Through new and expanded programs across the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare, the New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the city is working to ensure no New Yorker is forced to choose between their home and their pet while simultaneously alleviating animal shelter intake and expanding the pool of potential adopters, a need underscored by Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC). By reducing housing-related barriers to pet ownership, which is a leading factor in pet surrenders and a major contributor to the high populations in the city’s animal shelters, the Adams administration is working to ensure no New Yorker is forced to choose between their home and their pet.  

“Every New Yorker deserves the stability of a home, and for so many of us, that home includes a beloved pet,” said Mayor Adams. “This initiative sends a clear message: no one should ever have to choose between keeping a roof over their head and keeping their family together. By reducing barriers to pet-inclusive housing and strengthening the programs that support both people and animals, we are easing pressure on our animal shelter system, preventing unnecessary surrenders, and expanding the pool of loving adopters. This work builds on our administration’s historic investments to expand and modernize animal care facilities in every borough, and it reflects our commitment to building a more compassionate, inclusive city for all New Yorkers, human and animal alike.”

“This initiative makes our housing and shelter systems more responsive to the realities of New Yorkers’ lives,” said Deputy Mayor for Administration and Chief of Staff Camille Joseph Varlack. “For many people, pets are members of the family, yet outdated rules, especially those affecting large dogs and certain breeds, have created unnecessary barriers. By aligning policies across agencies, we are giving families clearer options so they can stay together while accessing the housing and support they need.”

Promoting Pet Inclusivity Across All Housing Sectors

The Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare will lead several citywide initiatives to promote pet-inclusive housing policies and protections for New Yorkers with pets, regardless of pet size or breed, across the public and private sectors. These efforts include:

• Partnering with the Michelson Found Animals’ Pet-Inclusive Housing Initiative to encourage pet-inclusive policies among landlords and property managers.
• Educating New Yorkers on tenant legal protections through a detailed Keeping Pets in New York City Housing flyer developed with the Tenant Protection Cabinet.
• Joining with “My Dog Is My Home’s” Co-Sheltering Collaborative to create a New York City working group in October 2025 focused on keeping people and pets together.

These efforts reflect the Adams administration’s broader commitment to fair, inclusive, and compassionate housing policies that recognize the vital role pets play in people’s lives and contributes to making New York City the best place to raise a family.

Expanding Pet-Friendly Affordable Housing

HPD aims to create a policy that establishes a clear, enforceable standard for pet inclusivity across publicly financed housing developments. HPD is committed to reviewing the marketing guidelines for affordable housing leased through Housing Connect. The goal is to update the guidelines, ensuring that pet owners are eligible to live in housing units leased through the affordable housing lottery. Currently, HPD’s affordable housing programs only apply to families living with assistance animals, following fair housing standards.

Supporting Pet Ownership in Public Housing

NYCHA launched a Pet Policy Education and Engagement Project to enhance awareness and compliance with NYCHA’s pet, service animal, and emotional support animal policies, and to connect residents with animal care resources. The project will:

• Create a resource library on NYCHA’s website to connect residents with animal care resources.
• Provide opportunities for animal care organizations to participate in family day events for resident leaders and residents who express interest.
• Expand staff training to strengthen policy implementation, with a focus on helping residents meet pet care and management (e.g. spay/neuter, leash rules, etc.).
• Conduct a resident survey to collect feedback and guide future improvements to pet policies.

Keeping People and Pets Together in Shelters

DHS will expand pet-inclusive shelter models across the city, supporting both families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Planned actions include:

• Families with Children: Expanding the presence of Urban Resource Institute's (URI) People and Animals Living Safely program at DHS through the launch of a new pilot at a URI Families with Children shelter. The pilot will enable families new to shelter to enter with their pet and will set aside 20 pet-friendly units (up to 30 pets). Notably, this will mark the city's first pilot for families with pets entering the standard shelter intake process.
• Low-Barrier Sites: Through a partnership with Bronx Family Network, six units at one stabilization bed site, The Holly, will be dedicated to unsheltered individuals with pets, offering a low-barrier environment where people can remain with their pets. 
• Drop-in Centers: Allowing pets at three drop-in centers across the city during Code Blue emergencies, with an updated policy to be published before year’s end.
• Data and Policy Development: Beginning with the 2026 Spring Quarterly Count, DHS will include pets in quarterly street counts to inform potential inclusion in the 2027 HOPE Count.
• DHS Survey: DHS issued a survey to contracted providers in mid-November to understand the need for additional pet-inclusive shelters and the operational considerations for allowing pets beyond emotional support animals and service animals. Provider responses are due by the end of the year, with findings anticipated in early 2026.

HPD's Emergency Housing Services program provides temporary emergency housing for households displaced by a fire or a city issued vacate order. HPD is conducting a feasibility study to determine whether co-habitation of pets can be integrated into family shelters.  Based on the results of that study, HPD’s co-sheltering pilot program will help keep more families experiencing emergencies together with their pets.

Expanding Pet Access for Domestic Violence Survivors

HRA will expand partnerships and strengthen operations to ensure that survivors of domestic violence can access safe shelter without having to leave their pets behind.
Currently, 17 of the 54 domestic violence shelters accept pets through partnerships such as Urban Resource Institute’s People and Animals Living Safely and Volunteers of America’s Survivors and Pets Opportunity to Thrive initiatives. HRA will:

• Continue training Safe Horizon Hotline staff and No Violence Again teams to identify and connect survivors with shelters that accept pets or with temporary foster and boarding programs.
• Regularly update resources for shelter providers and partner organizations to improve coordination and safety for survivors and their pets.

Today’s announcement builds on the Adams administration’s broader commitment to increase capacity to better care for the animals in shelter populations. Earlier this year, the Adams administration announced a one million dollar investment in the ACC to improve Manhattan and Queens shelter conditions by supporting the hiring and training of 14 additional staff for those locations. In 2022, the Adams administration opened a new ACC in Staten Island to better serve the needs of sheltered animals on Staten Island. In 2024, the first full-service animal shelter opened in Queens and a new Pet Adoption Center opened in Manhattan. A new Bronx ACC — the first full-service animal shelter for the borough — is expected to open next year, and a  fully renovated Brooklyn ACC is also in the works.

“Every day ACC takes in pets that are being surrendered, many because their families can’t find pet-inclusive housing” said Risa Weinstock, president and CEO, Animal Care Centers of New York City. “These are loved animals, family members, being given up not for behavior, not for lack of care, but because their humans are out of options. When we keep people and pets together, we preserve families, reduce intake pressure on shelters, and strengthen the communities we all share. New Yorkers deserve housing policies that reflect what we already know: pets are family.”

“We’re proud to partner with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare to make it easier for people and pets to stay together,” said Ross Barker, program director, pet-inclusive housing initiative, Michelson Found Animals Foundation. “By helping housing providers adopt pet-inclusive practices, New York City is showing how local leadership and collaboration can strengthen communities and improve lives — for both residents and the animals they love.”

“New York City has a long and proud history of recognizing that animal welfare and human well-being are deeply connected. We’re grateful to partner with the Adams administration as meaningful steps are taken to ensure that the city's efforts to develop a more affordable, fair, and livable housing landscape are inclusive of our animal family members,” said Christine Kim, founder and executive director, My Dog Is My Home. "Expanding pet-inclusive options across the housing system, from emergency to permanent affordable housing, is the strongest way to keep people and animals together.”

“Most of us consider our pets to be part of the family, but sadly, these bonds are being strained by restrictive policies that make it particularly challenging for families, especially lower-income households and renters, to secure housing that accommodates their four-legged family members,” said Michelle Villagomez, senior director, municipal affairs, ASPCA. “By removing unnecessary barriers and expanding access to pet-friendly housing, we can help keep families together, reduce pressure on local shelters, and ensure more New Yorkers can remain safely housed with the animals they love. We thank the Mayor’s Office of Animal Welfare for prioritizing this critical work.”

“Since 2013, we have ensured that more than 2,000 families and over 1,000 pets could remain safely together,” said Nathaniel Fields, chief executive officer, Urban Resource Institute “Our team has seen firsthand how preserving that bond can change the trajectory of a family’s life. Opening PALS at Magnolia Gardens is not just an expansion. It is a signal of what we stand for: removing barriers to safety, honoring the full reality of families’ lives, and building a city where no one has to choose between protection and the companion that gives them strength.”

“Breaking Ground is a strong believer in the importance of the human-animal bond, and that it should not be a barrier to achieving stability in housing,” said Amie Pospisil, chief operating officer, Breaking Ground. “We are thrilled to see progress across city agencies and providers to improve access to transitional and permanent housing where people experiencing homelessness can co-shelter with their pets.”

###