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NEW YORK, NY March 28, 2008 — The city hasn't been able to make a dent in the number of poor families struggling with homelessness - that's according to an annual report by a local advocacy group.

According to the report by the Coalition for the Homeless, about 8,200 poor families stayed in a city shelter in 2005. That's compared to about 9,300 last year.

At the same time, about 500 fewer families left shelters to move into their own apartments last fiscal year compared to the prior year.

But the city says the trend has started to reverse. According to the Department of Homeless Services, the number of families in shelter has been declining for the last four months.

Commissioner Robert Hess says it took time to ramp up a program introduced last April that provides families with rental assistance for up to two years.

The coalition says that's not long enough. They want the city to give homeless families a federal housing voucher that's more generous.

For WNYC, I'm Cindy Rodriguez.