Kingston

Kingston, New York, sits along the Hudson River in Ulster County, a former stockade settlement turned small city with a mix of working-class roots, artists, and transplants from downstate who've driven up housing costs in recent years. The average household income here runs around $75,000, but that figure hides a lot of strain, since rents have climbed fast while wages haven't kept pace. Ulster County's most recent point-in-time count identified 411 homeless individuals in 2023, and Kingston, as the county seat, carries a large share of that number. RUPCO has long been a backbone here, running shelter programs and housing assistance out of Kingston, and Family of Woodstock operates a crisis hotline and emergency services that extend into the city as well. The People's Place offers a food pantry and thrift store that many rely on to stretch what little they have. Kingston Cares and local church-based meal programs also fill gaps, especially in colder months when the need is sharpest. You are not invisible here, and there are people in this city who have built their work around making sure you make it through the week — reach for them.