As soon as COVID-19 forced New York City schools and services to go remote, staff at the homeless shelter provider BronxWorks knew their residents were in for some trouble.

Over 250 families live in the organization’s three shelters and few had reliable internet access, said BronxWorks Executive Director Eileen Torres. That meant kids would fall behind in their remote classes, parents would struggle to search for jobs and families would miss out on virtual housing tours, she said.

BronxWorks got quotes for wiring their sites for broadband access, but the $100,000 price tag proved prohibitive. “We don’t have that financial flexibility to find those dollars,” Torres said. “We don’t have that kind of funding.”

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