The Emergency Shelter Network (ESN) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit devoted to aiding, supporting and representing its members: a coalition of 38 faith based and community shelters, operated primarily by volunteers, serving homeless youth and adult individuals throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Through operational support, fundraising, advocacy, and city-wide homeless services information sharing, ESN seeks to help its member shelters to provide guests a firm foundation to move out of homelessness.
In 2019, ESN became a subsidiary of New York Disaster Interfaith Services (NYDIS), a full life-cycle disaster services nonprofit serving NYC in times of crisis. NYDIS is a 501(c)(3) (in 2022, $1.5 million budget, 12 employees) which functions as ESN’s parent organization and fiscal sponsor. Viewing homelessness as a disaster, NYDIS committed to supporting and professionalizing ESN, to transform it from a network into an operational agency with centralized capacity to assist members with development, resource acquisition, and advocacy. NYDIS provides ESN with desk space, back-office and administrative support, executive leadership, and subsidizes staff salary costs.
