Hi everyone – the NY/NY Campaign is closing in on its goals of 30,000 units for NYC! The Mayor will pledge 15,000 and will call on the Governor to match it – no guarantee but we can only continue our advocacy efforts. Then we will continue to ask for 5,000 upstate from the Governor.
New York City Plans $3 Billion Homelessness Effort
by Josh Dawsey Wall Street Journal November 17, 2015
New York City, in what will mark the single biggest investment of the de Blasio administration to fight homelessness, plans to create 15,000 additional units of housing that will be paired with social-service support, an initiative estimated to cost about $3 billion.
The move comes as months of talks between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the city on a joint program have failed to come to fruition. Mayor Bill de Blasio was set to announce his initiative Wednesday morning.
The city’s homelessness problem has developed as one of the biggest political and policy challenges for Mr. de Blasio, well predating his election two years ago yet nevertheless worsening on his watch. About 58,000 people now are in the city’s shelter system, and residents in all five boroughs have complained about the seemingly rising numbers of people living on the streets.
Supportive housing isn’t a new way to address homelessness for New York City, though City Hall’s planned new investment takes the approach to a new level, adding 15,000 slots in all. Under such programs, people pay a portion of their income or monthly support from the city or state rent—about 30%— and they are also provided with services such as substance-abuse counseling and some medical care.
The city plans to support the construction of 7,500 new apartments over the coming years for homeless, mentally ill and other New Yorkers who are without housing, giving nonprofit groups and developers subsidies and tax credits to do so. Another 7,500 units will come online as the city converts existing apartments to the supportive-housing network.
Development will cost about $2.6 billion, including $1 billion in city dollars in the form of subsidies to developers. The city will spend hundreds of millions more to provide social and health services to people in the new developments.
“In the past, supportive housing has enabled the shelter population to stabilize and even be reduced,” said Steven Banks, head of the Human Resources Administration. “We see this a way to provide stability to help people get off the streets, help get people out of the shelters and find a permanent solution for housing.”
Similar programs over the past two decades have produced about 15,000 units total, according to the city, and they have been funded by the city and state. In 2005, a program called NY/N3 brought 9,000 units over 10 years and was largely paid for by the state. Similar programs in 1990 and 1998 also were split between the city and the state.
Mr. Banks declined to say why the state wasn’t working with the city on this venture but said he hoped for cooperation in the future. A spokeswoman for the governor didn’t respond to a request for comment. The state has previously said it has invested a record amount of money in homeless programs.
Advocates say Albany’s decision to cut the Advantage rent-subsidy program in 2011 caused more homelessness in New York City.
With the city-state talks producing no agreement, Mr. Banks said the city had to move ahead without the state because there is an urgent need.
The new supportive housing initiative isn’t likely to make an immediate dent in the city’s homeless population, which has climbed to more than 58,000 in the shelters and even more on the streets.
New housing units will take at least 18 months to build, and the program will be rolled out over 15 years.
Over the past two years, Mr. de Blasio has absorbed criticism for his handling of the homelessness problem, and polls suggest voters believe the city’s quality of life is eroding.
“The nature of the 2013 campaign primed people for the disorder dimension: crime, homelessness, dirty streets, all of these things,” said Ken Sherrill, a professor emeritus at CUNY-Hunter. “The perception that the general quality of life is diminishing hurts the mayor. It makes it easier for someone to run against him and run a campaign of “I told you so.”
Mr. de Blasio’s administration has spent more money on the issue in recent months, ramping up antieviction programs, opening new beds in shelters and joining with outside nonprofits and social service groups. The city has vowed to spend $1 billion over the next four years.
Advocates say supportive housing is the best option for fixing the problem long term because it moves people from shelters or other difficult living situations. Mr. Banks said about 85% of the people who are moved into supportive housing remain housed.
Advocates at the Corporation for Supportive Housing, a nonprofit involved in the issue, have said New York needs more than 30,000 new units of supportive housing and has pushed for Mr. Cuomo to commit state funding.
“It would be impossible to overstate the significance of the mayor funding 15,000 units of supportive housing,” said Mary Brosnahan, the president and chief executive of the Coalition for the Homeless. “This is the only thing that will make an impact, we’ve said consistently for years.”
City officials hope forging ahead will pressure Mr. Cuomo to also put money toward supportive housing. New York state Assemblyman Andy Hevesi, a Queens Democrat, said 133 members of the Assembly have signed a letter to Mr. Cuomo, urging more state support for such projects.
“With this move for 15,000 units of supportive housing, Mayor de Blasio and the city have stepped up and done their share. It’s now time for Gov. Cuomo to rise to the occasion,” Mr. Hevesi said.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/new-york-city-plans-3-billion-homelessness-effort-1447804658