Advocates for Long Island's homeless estimate high cost of living has driven three-fourths of the newly homeless to their present situation.

Mitch Bellardini, with heart problems and diabetes, is among the new homeless. A former painter, Bellardini now lives in his minivan after choosing to pay for medicine and food over somewhere to live when he could no longer work last year. As the recent cold front moved in, an elderly couple allowed Bellardini to connect his space heater with an extension cord to their home.

Bellardini says it is easy to judge and write off someone in his position as lazy or irresponsible. He says part of the responsibility for being homeless does fall on his shoulders, but wants people to realize there are many other factors.