New York, NY —

The Paterson administration wants to cut $88 million from New York City shelters for homeless adults. A report by the Coalition for the Homeless says that's nearly half the city's budget.

Policy Analyst Patrick Markee says the state expects the city to makeup for the loss by requiring the homeless to pay for shelter either through income from work, disability payments, or welfare payments.

"The reality is that charging homeless people rent to stay in shelters just keeps them in shelters for longer periods of time and costs more taxpayer money," Markee says.

The state's budget office says other jurisdictions already have similar requirements including the city's family shelter system. Markee says homeless families are more stable than single adults who usually suffer from mental illness and other problems.