Mike Skrebutenas
(left to right) Ted Houghton of the Network, Michael Skrebutenas of NYS Homes & Community Renewal and Deborah VanAmerongen of Nixon Peabody.
From case managers who go that extra mile for a tenant to government administrators who find ways to make programs work, the supportive housing community is filled with unsung heroes. Our unique housing model has flourished for decades thanks to the quiet dedication of people like Michael A. Skrebutenas, the recipient of the Network’s first-ever Unsung Hero of the Year award.
As the Chief Operating Officer at New York State Homes & Community Renewal (HCR), Mr. Skrebutenas has played an instrumental role in facilitating the development and expansion of supportive housing.
In 2012, Mr. Skrebutenas helped ensure that the Medicaid Redesign Team’s emerging focus on supportive housing became an integral part of Governor Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign initiative. Thanks in part to his efforts, the MRT supportive housing initiative was fully funded with $75 million. This initiative, truly historic, will help create and provide services for as many as 4,500 capital and scattered-site units of supportive housing in its first year.
Mr. Skrebutenas’ record of service spans far longer than this recent accomplishment. As Assistant, and then Deputy, Secretary for Housing and Economic Development under Governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson, he helped ensure that funding remained available for affordable housing development, even in the wake of the 2008 financial meltdown.
Prior to working in New York State government, Mr. Skrebutenas worked as a project manager to expand Common Ground outside of New York City, into Connecticut and Upstate New York.
“When Mike joined us in Albany, he was one of the few members of our team who really knew supportive housing from the inside,” says Former DHCR Commissioner Deborah VanAmerongen. “He was, and continues to be, one of the real pros at working across agency lines, and ensuring critical support from the Governor’s office and the Division of Budget to make these commitments real. He truly is an 'Unsung Hero' for his work behind the scenes to make supportive housing a cornerstone of the Administration’s affordable housing agenda.”
The Network’s Unsung Hero Award was created to recognize individuals who have made critical contributions to supportive housing out of the spotlight. It has been named after Dr. Timothy O’Hanlon, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s (HPD) longtime Assistant Commissioner for Special Needs Housing, who embodied a lifelong commitment to creating superior housing for vulnerable New Yorkers.
Throughout his career, Mr. Skrebutenas has placed a premium on results over accolades. For his tireless work to elevate supportive housing’s importance in the halls of Albany, we’re thrilled to honor him as our first recipient of the Tim O’Hanlon Unsung Hero of the Year Award.