NEW YORK, Jan. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- New York was ranked the 14th place among top 20 cities across the United States "with the worst practices" in treating the homeless people, according to a report released Wednesday by two national homeless advocacy groups.

    The report, "A Dream Denied", prepared by the Washington-based National Coalition for the Homeless and the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, buttressed the national ranking by scrutinizing measures taken by the cities against homeless people.

    With a focus on specific city measures that have targeted homeless persons, such as laws that make it illegal to sleep, eat, or sit in public spaces, the report included information about 224 cities nationwide.

    The top-20 ranking was based on a number of factors, including the number of anti-homeless laws in the city, the enforcement of those laws, the general political climate toward homeless people in the city, and the city's history of criminalization measures, said the report.

    The number one city in the U.S. was Sarasota, Florida, for a controversial ordinance that outlaws sleeping outside at night -- used in the last two years to arrest more than 500 people -- even though it was declared unconstitutional.

    In New York, arrests of homeless individuals "have skyrocketed in the past few years," totaling 3,086 last year compared with 737 in 2000, according to the report.

    Also on the list were major cities such as Las Vegas, San Francisco, Chicago and Los Angeles.

    A New York City official has denied that the Big Apple is unfriendly to the homeless population.

    "Regardless of how this 'report' ranks New York, our city is the most generous jurisdiction in the country when it comes to addressing the needs of at-risk and homeless citizens," said Angela Allen, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).

    She cited initiatives such as homeless prevention measures and a billion-dollar plan to create 9,000 supportive housing units for chronically homeless families and individuals.

    In New York City, there are approximately 31,000 individuals who are homeless, according to the DHS. About 8,000 are single adults. Enditem