Categories: New York State, Network Events
03.06.2014
Network, partners to advocate for key supportive housing programs ahead of final New York State budget
The Network will hold one last, big advocacy push in Albany on March 18 to impact vital supportive housing programs in the New York State budget.
Last month, our members joined Homeless Services United to hold nearly 60 meetings with members of the New York State Assembly, Senate and their staff. We used these meetings to advocate for increased funding for homeless prevention and supportive housing programs in the 2014-15 state fiscal year budget.
Our final advocacy effort on Tuesday, March 18 will offer us a chance to advocate for these issues one last time before the state budget passes on or before April 1. We encourage all of you to attend. To RSVP, please contact the Network’s Maclain Berhaupt at mberhaupt@shnny.org.
This year, we’ve focused our advocacy efforts on four specifics areas. First, we hope to achieve an increase to the NYS Office of Temporary Disability and Assistance (OTDA)’s Homeless Housing and Prevention services budget, which funds both the NYS Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP) and Solutions to End Homelessness Programs (STEHP). Second, we hope to save vulnerable State homeless programs threatened by sequestration. To do this, we’ve called on New York State to establish an emergency supplemental pool of funding at OTDA to help mitigate cuts to over 50 programs across the state.
Third, we’re supporting Gov. Cuomo’s proposed budget to double funding for the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, the supportive housing capital program at OTDA. Lastly, we’re supporting a further increase to the rates provided for Supported Housing offered by the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH). Gov. Cuomo’s budget proposes to increase the current rate of funding by 3.8 percent for units in the NYC region. We hope to double that amount to 7.6 percent, or an $11,000 per unit rate increase, and make the increase statewide.
We expect the final New York State budget to be passed on or near April 1. As such, our March 18 advocacy day will represent a final push to advocate for these issues. Together, we can help create a stronger safety net for homeless, formerly homeless and low-income New Yorkers.