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Doniqua Earl and Daniel Broome, 2019 Outstanding Tenants of the Year

Oct.23.2019

Doniqua Earl

Doniqua Earl carries a light within her that brightens every room she enters – a light she has cultivated through decades of hardship. After a grim life in foster care, Doniqua began a new chapter at The Bridge’s Herkimer Residence in November 2016. Initially wary of trusting anyone, she slowly began to believe that staff would stick by her and empower her with whatever she needed to become her best self.  Soon, her wit, wisdom, hope, and generosity toward others were in full force, benefiting everyone around her.

“My dream is to shine, to be a survivor, and to be there for other people any way I can,” Doniqua said, describing her ambitions to pay it forward because of how much she has thrived at the Herkimer.

Even when she was withdrawn and guarded, “you could tell there was a fire behind her eyes,” said Danielle DeLaurenzo, Area Director at the Bridge. Doniqua’s history in foster care began when she was four years old and involved repeated uprooting between unstable and abusive living situations. She experienced years of physical abuse, neglect, and self-harm. But Doniqua has turned these very experiences into assets of empathy and advocacy in her new ambitions to care for others. “She has not only been an example to other residents, she has also taught staff through her experiences how to support clients on a more individual level,” Danielle said.

“She’s done everything possible to demonstrate how resilient she is,” said Liana Roman, Young Adult Case Manager at the Herkimer.

While doing the hard, brave work of diving into her own past to understand her trauma, Doniqua has taken advantage of every opportunity available to her. She pursued and completed training to become a Certified Nursing Assistant, recently passing her licensing exam; she is now enrolling in an EKG certificate program to bolster her medical ambitions. She also taught herself how to ride a bike, is getting a driver’s license, and is planning for college. She is an active volunteer in nursing homes through New York Cares, saying, “Just being there for someone who has no one else, no family – I can relate to that. There’s always something I can talk about.”

Doniqua has become a model and an advocate for her peers at home, personifying transformation and turning her life experiences into points of connection with others around her. In light of her bravery, hope, and magnanimous spirit, we are honored to name Doniqua a 2019 Tenant of the Year.

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Daniel Broome

“Mayor of the building” is how staff and residents now know Daniel Broome, an individual of contagious laughter and triumphant spirit, against all odds.

Daniel’s story “exemplifies victory over the many traumatic events people face in the severely underserved community,” said Celso Castillo, Jr., Daniel’s Wellness Coach through Services for the UnderServed (S:US), a partner with Breaking Ground running 1191 Boston Road where Daniel lives. Once surrounded by a family, his life was slowly ravaged by a long struggle with drug addiction, which at one climactic moment contributed to his falling off a roof six floors up. The impact shattered the bones in both his legs, leading to a double amputation and a 19-month hospital stay. Upon his release, Daniel spent over five years on the streets without a stable home, sleeping in hallways and door frames, suffering third-degree burns, and continuing to battle addiction.

But among the most significant moments in Daniel’s life is when, after years of hiding from a local Breaking Ground street outreach team, that he realized “they were offering me a second chance.” With their assistance, Daniel moved off the street and into 1191 Boston Road in 2016.

His transition into a full life at the residence was “a beautiful transformation,” according to Dimas Tollinchi-Castor, Assistant Program Director of the residence through S:US. Daniel admitted to being surprised that “they didn’t kick me out, when a lot of other people would have.” Before long, with the support of staff, “like a butterfly” Daniel became a public and welcome figure around the hallways and common spaces, cracking wheelchair-related jokes like, “I’m a stand-up guy!” and “OW! My feet!” to passersby before smiling broadly at them.

Daniel has been repeatedly recognized by his community for his leadership and dedication both to others and to self-improvement. He plays an instrumental role in the residence in the way he encourages others in their personal goals. Daniel is actively involved in a Writer’s Club – even winning the National Library of Poetry’s Critics Choice Award. “He’s like a brother,” said Martin Weeks, a close friend, neighbor, and member of the club, “and seeing him every day is something I look forward to.”

“I’ve been through so much, and to think about where I am today… I go to bed with a smile on my face,” Daniel said. “If I can do it, anybody can do it.”

For his tenacity and humor in the face of hardship, Daniel is more than deserving of the title of 2019 Tenant of the Year.

Linda Glassman, 2019 Unsung Hero of the Year

Oct.23.2019

Linda Glassman is the epitome of an unsung hero: a visionary, often behind the scenes, in the fight to end homelessness for New York’s most vulnerable for over 40 years.

For the last 11 years, Linda has led the field through her role at the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA). She is currently Deputy Commissioner for Housing, Refugee Services, and Disability Determinations, overseeing the hugely important Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP), which has helped fund over 16,000 units of supportive housing.

Some of the state’s most critical supportive housing programs have Linda’s tenacity and strategic mind to thank for survival, including the NYS Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP), for which she played a key role securing funding over the last several years. In 2011, she and her staff masterminded the restructuring of OTDA’s supportive housing service programs, merging the former Supportive Housing for Families and Young Adults program with the former SRO program.

“All of us at OTDA are excited that Linda is receiving this honor and grateful to her for her countless amazing accomplishments over the years of service to New York State,” said NYS OTDA Commissioner Mike Hein. “She is a thoughtful, compassionate, and tireless leader, fully committed to the idea that supportive housing is fundamental to helping people experiencing homelessness get on a path to stability and independence.”

Before entering government work, Linda was a trailblazer in the nonprofit world, taking on the cause of some of the most vulnerable populations across the state. She served as Executive Director of the AIDS Council of Northeastern New York and, after that, as the first Executive Director of the Albany-based CARES, Inc. for 15 years.

“Linda is a driving force for helping persons experiencing homelessness and unstable housing across New York State,” said Perry Junjulas, Executive Director of the Albany Damien Center. “Her support of grassroots organizations such as ours since the start of the epidemic continues to change lives to this very day.”

Linda played a key role in the statewide implementation of Continuum of Care programs beginning in 1994. She was an indispensable part of building New York’s first-ever Interagency Council on Homelessness and in 2008 was entrusted with creating her agency’s Center for Specialized Services, which at the time included its entire homeless housing and prevention portfolio.

For a career of championing the most difficult causes and seeing them through to success, the Network is proud to name Linda Glassman the Tim O’Hanlon Unsung Hero of the Year.

Stephen Levin, 2019 Government Partner of the Year

Oct.23.2019

At every step of his career, Stephen Levin has truly talked the talk and walked the walk as one of supportive housing’s most effective champions. Elected to New York City Council in 2009, he represents the diverse communities of Greenpoint, Vinegar Hill, Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Boerum Hill, and parts of Bedford-Stuyvesant and Williamsburg. Stephen has used his position strategically to proclaim supportive housing’s transformative power in communities and has earned a reputation of credibility and steadfastness.

Stephen was among the first in government to seriously ramp up the cause for a new NY/NY Agreement in City Council, holding a hearing about supportive housing’s benefits and participating in the Network’s conferences. In 2015, just after Mayor de Blasio announced his landmark NYC 15/15 commitment, Stephen led a rally at City Hall both to celebrate and to call on the Governor to match the city commitment. He then helped lead a City Council hearing and press conference to further amplify the need.

More recently, as Chair of the General Welfare Committee, Stephen held a hearing on the progress being made on NYC 15/15, which led to the addition of $100 million in last year’s budget to accelerate the development of congregate supportive housing.

Critically, Stephen’s commitment to supportive housing starts in his own backyard. He has long been a vocal supporter of Breaking Ground’s work in his district, most recently the addition of over 500 units of supportive and affordable housing beginning in 2020 with 90 Sands Street.

“Council Member Levin has shown us time and again that there is always a way,” said Brenda Rosen, President and CEO of Breaking Ground. “We are extremely grateful for his staunch support of The Schermerhorn, his visionary role in helping us to acquire 90 Sands Street, and his leadership in fighting to create more supportive housing for vulnerable New Yorkers.”

Stephen is leading the movement to build community and political support for supportive housing,  co-authoring an op-ed with Council Member Rafael Salamanca last year and this year helping bring Los Angeles’ Everyone In campaign to New York City.

NYC Council Speaker Corey Johnson said, “Council Member Stephen Levin has been a fierce advocate for our most vulnerable New Yorkers and the need for supportive housing. He is a valuable partner in finding solutions for the homelessness crisis. I cannot ask for a better colleague and friend.”

For his outstanding integrity and commitment to supportive housing across the city, the Network is honored to name Stephen Levin Government Partner of the Year.

NYC HRA Introduces the ACCESS HRA Provider Portal

Oct.14.2019

The NYC Department of Social Services – Human Resources Administration (HRA) recently announced several new features to ACCESS HRA, their web-based and mobile platform providing SNAP and TANF recipients easy access to HRA benefits. One of the latest features is the Access HRA Provider Portal, a new way for providers – with client permission – to gain access to their clients’ HRA account to improve services.

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NYS HCR Releases the 2019 Multifamily Finance 9% RFP

Oct.11.2019

New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) released its Multifamily Finance 9% Request for Proposals (RFP), through which applicants may apply for funding for the new construction, rehabilitation, and/or adaptive reuse of site-specific projects that provide multifamily rental housing.

Program	Anticipated Funding
Supportive Housing Opportunity Program (SHOP)	$30 million
9% Low-Income Housing Credit (LIHTC)	$28 million
Low-Income Housing Trust Fund Program (HTF)	$42 million
Rural and Urban Community Investment Fund (CIF)	$3 million
New York State Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (SLIHC)	$5 million
Public Housing Preservation Program (PHP)	$7 million
Middle Income Housing Program (MIHP)	$7 million
Housing Development Fund (HDF)	$5 million
Federal Housing Trust Fund Program (FHTF)	$15 million
Section 8 Project-Based Voucher Program (PBV)	34 units

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