Meet the Commissioner

Erin Dalton is the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Social Services (DSS), which oversees both the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).

Previously, she served as the Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) in Pennsylvania, where she led one of the nation’s most innovative and integrated human services systems. In that position, Erin led the department’s efforts to strengthen families and communities through a broad network of community-based programs that prevent harm and address critical needs in housing and homelessness, senior services, child welfare, behavioral health, and developmental supports.

Under Erin's leadership, DHS drove measurable progress in crisis response and homelessness. Following a post-pandemic peak of tents filling Pittsburgh’s riverfronts and downtown corridors, the department reduced unsheltered encampments to only a handful on any given day. Through the 500 in 500 initiative, DHS moved individuals from shelter into permanent housing in just 500 days, a milestone that continues to shape the county’s housing strategy. She also built a coordinated winter shelter network to ensure no one is forced to remain outside in dangerous cold.

Erin led large-scale reforms across behavioral health and community safety systems, including redesigning Allegheny County’s mobile crisis response system, deploying behavioral health professionals to answer certain 9-1-1 calls, expanding medication-assisted treatment in the jail, and advancing violence prevention efforts.

Before serving as Director, Erin led DHS’s Analytics, Planning, and Information Technology functions and gained national recognition for pioneering ethical uses of integrated data systems to improve outcomes and reduce racial disparities in decision making.

Before joining DHS, Erin spent five years at the National Institute of Justice, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Justice. She has also held national-level roles with the RAND Corporation, Arnold Ventures, Bloomberg Associates, and the Obama Foundation, broadening her perspective on how government can effectively serve individuals, families, and communities.

Erin Dalton holds a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College.

Send an email to the Commissioner.