Rising costs put squeeze on Brooklyn mobile shower bus serving people experiencing homelessness

A mobile shower bus serving people experiencing homelessness and others in need across Brooklyn is facing operating cost increases due to rising costs of gas and consumer items.

The bus, operated by Brooklyn Community Services, travels to high-need areas across the borough, providing showers and basic hygiene supplies.

Symphoni Crossman, deputy director at the 160-year-old nonprofit, says access to basic hygiene can have an impact on how people feel about themselves.

"I'm also a big believer of, you smell good, you look good, you feel good," she said.

The seasonal program is funded through a combination of public and private donations.

Archana Jayaram, CEO of Brooklyn Community Services, said the organization has had to piece together funding each year.

"We have annually been cobbling together funds to make this really important program work," she said.

The organization has operated the shower bus for around five years, but leaders say it has become increasingly difficult to fund the program due to the rising costs of gas, hygiene products and employee wages.

Jayaram said the need for services is growing as more New Yorkers struggle with affordability.

"People are really in need. We look around and we see how New Yorkers are struggling. As income inequality increases, and it's harder and harder to make ends meet," Jayaram said.

Brooklyn Community Services estimates it needs $800,000 for operations and upgrades to the vehicle, including winterizing it and making it wheelchair accessible.

The organization has secured around half of that amount, which leaders say is enough to keep the bus operational but not to make all of the planned improvements.

People who use the service say the need is visible in the neighborhoods where the bus operates.

The funding available to the organization also does not go as far as it once did.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says consumer prices in the New York area rose 4.6% over the past year. That figure excludes energy prices. Gasoline prices rose more than 29% from July 2025 to July 2026.

Jayaram said rising costs are making the program increasingly difficult to fund.

"It is more challenging because costs are rising. And so I think the the funding becomes more and more critical every year," she said.

For now, Brooklyn Community Services says the shower bus will remain on the road, but leaders say it is taking more resources than ever to provide the basic service.

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