New York, NY —

Some families seeking a shelter for the night could be turned away when the city starts implementing a new policy. WNYC's Cindy Rodriguez reports.

REPORTER: Currently any family that shows up at a Bronx intake center after 5pm is automatically given a shelter bed for the night. But the city says it plans to turn away those who keep coming back for these one night placements even though it’s already been determined they are not homeless because they can stay with relatives or friends.

According to city statistics, the number of families doing this went from about 1,200-2,400 in the year between August 2006 and 2007. Robert Hess is the Commissioner of the Department of Homeless Services.

HESS: We can't have large numbers of ineligible families coming back time and time again clogging up the system and slowing down the process for families who really need our help and our eligible for shelter.

REPORTER: But homeless advocates say the city often makes mistakes when determining who is truly homeless and who is not. They say the new policy risks putting families in need of help out on the streets overnight. For WNYC, I'm Cindy Rodriguez.