Nearly 92,000 people are without a home on any given night in New York, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

That same organization noted that nearly 40% of the homeless population is made up of sheltered individuals while 57% are families.

Under the latest guidance from the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, shelters seeking certification must comply with keeping individuals and families separate.

Christian Hoffman, spokesperson for Community Missions in Niagara Falls, said the shelter has had to turn away families and direct them to the Department of Social Services. To resolve the issue, the shelter is taking steps toward building or securing space for a family space. 

“It is a difficult process for us that is most likely going to be building something new. And so, any kind of construction process is going to be a difficult process anywhere throughout the state,” said Hoffman. 

Family shelters like Family Promise of WNY are also working to find space for families since a spike in homelessness following the COVID eviction moratorium last summer.

“A lot of those shelters decided just to house singles,” said Luanne Firestone, executive director of Family Promise of WNY. “And so there's now only two family shelters that partner with Erie County Open currently: us and the Salvation Army is the other one. So that's about 30 spaces for families on any given night. Right now there's about 100 families that are homeless in Erie County.”

When families are turned away, they may be sent to motels.

Shelter leaders said when that happens, it can be harder to connect people with the resources they need in order to set up a long-term plan.

Spectrum News 1 has reached out to OTDA for more details surrounding these regulations.