In September 1991, in response to the growing crisis of homeless New Yorkers, Mayor Dinkins appointed an independent Commission on Homelessness. The mission of the Commission was to conduct a comprehensive review of the delivery of services to homeless people in New York City and to make recommendations for change. This report presents the findings and recommendations of the Commission and recognizes that the City's response to the problems of the shelter system can only be addressed through structural change including broad changes in the service delivery system to homeless families and individuals. In preparing this report, the Commission held extensive public hearings, reviewed the research literature on homelessness and conducted a comprehensive survey of shelter residents in New York City (authors).