Governor’s Sweeping $2.6 Billion, 5-Year Plan to Develop 6,000 Units of Supportive Housing Moves Forward; 84 Community Providers in 40 Counties Notified of Award Statewide Awards Advance Governor’s Unprecedented $10.45 Billion Homelessness Action Plan
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the first conditional awards that will support the development of 1,200 units of supportive housing for vulnerable New Yorkers who are at risk of homelessness.
The awards, made following a Request for Proposals issued in June, will support the ongoing service and operating expenses of supportive housing projects. This funding will be made available to supportive housing providers under five-year contracts which are renewable at the end of their term. New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance will work with supportive housing providers who have received these conditional contract awards to secure the capital funding needed to complete supportive housing projects. These awards represent a major step forward in the Governor’s unprecedented $2.6 billion, five-year plan to construct 6,000 new supportive housing units across New York State.
“The state is taking aggressive action to end chronic homelessness and help move thousands of New Yorkers into permanent housing,” Governor Cuomo said. “These awards will not only help ensure New York’s families and children have a safe, comfortable place to call home, but provide them with the resources they need to change their lives. With the development of these vital units, we are swiftly moving forward on the state’s transformational blueprint to tackle this crisis and bringing hope and opportunity to our most vulnerable New Yorkers.”
James S. Rubin, Commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, said, “Time is always of the essence when addressing the unique issues and needs faced by homeless individuals and families. The State of New York, thanks to Governor Cuomo, is leading the way nationally and setting the pace with regard to our commitment to serving the neediest among us. We know that as important as it is to have a roof over head, so are the services and care we can deliver. The 84 awards we are announcing today will help provide the quality and quantity of care that allows people to live independently, regain confidence in themselves, manage their health and safety, and gain the skills they need to once again live productive and rewarding lives. The HCR team looks forward to working with all our partners to quickly move these initiatives from the drawing board to reality.”
Fran Barrett, Interagency Coordinator for Not-for-Profit Services, said, “Under Governor Cuomo, New York continues to lead the way forward in ensuring our most vulnerable populations have a safe, affordable place to live. By investing in the development these new supportive housing units, this funding will advance the state’s comprehensive homelessness action plan and help build stronger communities and a brighter future for all New Yorkers.”
Under the Governor’s plan, the conditional awards cover more than the 1,200 units of supportive housing expected to be developed this year. HCR and OTDA will select projects that meet the greatest need for supportive housing. A total of 84 community-based providers have received these conditional awards for a total of 121 projects. The awards include 79 projects throughout upstate New York and 42 projects in New York City. It is expected that approximately 80 percent of the units in the supportive housing projects that become fully funded will be located across the five boroughs – consistent with the distribution of the homeless population in New York State.
Selection Criteria
Following the release of a Request for Proposals in June, applicants were tasked with demonstrating how their proposals will specifically address a gap in homeless housing services, using federal, state, and local data to identify need. Applications were graded using a consistent metric, which examined the impact of their proposal upon homelessness, the cost effectiveness of their proposal, and the readiness of the provider to complete the project.
The awards are conditional upon the provider receiving full capital funding, which they may seek from various entities including Homes and Community Renewal and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance’s Homeless and Housing Assistance Program. The service and operating funds announced today will be contractually released to the awarded providers when the capital project is built and ready to open.
State Funding
As part of the Governor’s comprehensive statewide effort to end homelessness, the
awards are being financially supported by multiple funding streams, including the first $150 million of a $2 billion memorandum of understanding signed by Governor Cuomo in June, $63 million from the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program and other capital resources, $230 million of federal tax credit equity, and $94 million in service and operating contracts over the next five years.
Permanent Supportive Housing
The 1,200 new and permanent supportive housing units will serve vulnerable populations with special needs, and will include a variety of services tailored to their needs, such as employment training, counseling and crisis intervention, educational assistance, legal services, independent living skills training, benefits advocacy and assistance in obtaining and maintaining primary and mental healthcare.
Targeted homeless demographics include veterans, victims of domestic violence, frail or disabled senior citizens, young adults with histories of incarceration, homelessness or foster care, chronically homeless individuals and families, as well as individuals with health, mental health and/or substance use disorders.
State-wide Interagency Council on Homelessness
In December 2015, Governor Cuomo formed the Interagency Council on Homelessness, co-chaired by Fran Barrett, the Governor’s Interagency Coordinator for Not-for-Profit Services, and HCR Commissioner James S. Rubin.
The Interagency Council is charged with taking a comprehensive look at the problem of homelessness statewide, and working alongside providers and local governments to identify problems, pursue solutions and establish a creative and flexible set of best practices, including ensuring a statewide continuum of care and conducting a thorough review of policies and procedures that can eliminate barriers to service.
The Interagency Council will provide an opportunity to continue that important dialogue with plans to issue its first report in December 2016.
The Council members include:
Dr. Rosa Gil, President and CEO of Comunilife
Tony Hannigan, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Urban Services
Deborah Damm O’Brien, Executive Director of Catholic Charities Housing of Albany
Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, Senior Advisor to the President of Hunter College, Chair of the Board of Directors of NYC Health + Hospitals
John Paul Perez, Partner Relations Associate, Finger Lakes Performing Provider System (FLPPS)
Reverend Dr. Maria Scates, CEO of Utica’s Johnson Park Center
Melissa Spicer, Executive Director, Clear Path for Veterans
Christine Quinn, President and CEO of WIN
Bobby Watts, Executive Director of Care for the Homeless
Dale Zuchlewski, Executive Director, Homeless Alliance of Western New York
The Governor’s Homelessness Action Plan is a comprehensive initiative involving multiple state agencies. In addition to the $2.6 billion for 6,000 new supportive housing units, the unprecedented initiative commits $7.8 billion to sustain existing supportive housing units, shelter beds, and other homeless services throughout New York State.
The following providers received awards (ACL MEMBERS IN ITALICS):
Central Region
Opportunities for Broome – Broome County
YWCA Binghamton & Broome – Broome County
Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse – Cayuga County
Behavioral Health Services North, Inc. – Clinton County
ETC Housing Corporation – Clinton County
Citizen Advocates, Inc. – Franklin County
St. Joseph’s Addiction Treatment and Recovery Centers – Franklin County
North Country Transitional Living Services, Inc. – Lewis County
Oneida Healthcare – Oneida County
Rescue Mission of Utica – Oneida County
DePaul Community Services, Inc. – Oneida County
JCTOD Outreach, Inc. – Oneida County
Municipal Housing Authority of Utica – Oneida County
Utica Center for Development – Oneida County
Catholic Charities of Onondaga County – Onondaga County
Center for Community Alternatives – Onondaga County
Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse – Onondaga County
The Salvation Army – Onondaga County
St. Camillus Health Care Facility – Onondaga County
YWCA of Syracuse and Onondaga County – Onondaga County
Oswego County Opportunities, Inc. – Oswego County
Catholic Charities Housing Office – Otsego County
Hudson River Region
The Albany Damien Center – Albany County
Albany Housing Coalition – Albany County
Catholic Charities Housing Office – Albany County
Equinox, Inc. – Albany County
Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless – Albany County
Rehabilitation Support Services – Albany County
Hudson River Housing – Dutchess County
Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties – Greene County
Access Supports for Living, Inc. – Orange County
Search for Change, Inc. – Putnam County
The Community Builders – Rensselaer County
St. Paul’s Center – Rensselaer County
Unity House, Inc. – Rensselaer County
SCAP, Inc. – Saratoga County
CAPTAIN Youth and Family Services – Saratoga County
Mohawk Opportunities – Schenectady County
SCAP, Inc. – Schenectady County
Catholic Charities Housing Office – Schoharie County
RUPCO – Ulster County
Community Housing Innovations – Westchester County
Long Island Region
Federation of Organizations – Nassau County
Options for Community Living, Inc. – Nassau/Suffolk County
Association for Mental Health and Wellness – Suffolk County
Federation of Organizations – Suffolk County
New Ground, Inc. – Suffolk County
Transitional Services of NY- Long Island – Suffolk County
United Veterans Beacon House – Suffolk County
New York City Region
ACMH, Inc. – Bronx County
The Bridge, Inc. – Bronx County
Bronxworks – Bronx County
CAMBA, Inc. – Bronx County
Comunilife, Inc. – Bronx County
Community Access, Inc. – Bronx County
Federation of Organizations – Bronx County
Hebrew Home for the Aged – Bronx County
New Destiny Housing Corporation – Bronx County
Project Renewal, Inc. – Bronx County
Samaritan Village – Bronx County
Services for the Underserved, Inc. – Bronx County
Unique People Services, Inc. – Bronx County
Urban Pathways – Bronx County
Women in Need – Bronx County
WSFSSH – Bronx County
Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service – Kings County
CAMBA, Inc. – Kings County
Concern for Independent Living – Kings County
Housing Works -Kings County
PSCH, Inc. – Kings County
Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, Inc. – Kings County
AIDS Service Center of Lower Manhattan, Inc. – New York County
Barrier Free Living, Inc. – New York County
Harlem United Community AIDS Center, Inc. – New York County
West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing – New York County
CAMBA, Inc. – Queens County
Hour Children, Inc. – Queens County
PSCH, Inc. – Queens County
Project Hospitality – Richmond County
Bowery Residents Committee, Inc. – No County Specified
CAMBA, Inc. – No County Specified
Lantern Community Services, Inc. -No County Specified
Services for the Underserved, Inc. – No County Specified
Western Region
Economic Opportunity Program of Chemung County – Chemung County
Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers, Inc. – Erie County
Lt. Col. Matt Urban Center – Erie County
My Place Home for the Homeless – Erie County
DePaul Community Services, Inc. – Genesee County
DePaul Community Services, Inc. – Livingston County
Alternatives for Battered Women – Monroe County
East House – Monroe County
Spiritus Christi Prison Outreach – Monroe County
Volunteers of America of Western New York – Monroe County
YWCA of the Niagara Frontier – Niagara County
Finger Lakes United Cerebral Palsy – Ontario County
FLACRA – Ontario County
DePaul Community Services, Inc. – Orleans County
FLACRA – Seneca County
SCAP, Inc. – Steuben County
Tompkins Community Action, Inc. – Tompkins County
FLACRA – Wayne County
DePaul Community Services, Inc. – Wyoming County