Newsfeed Category: Member News

Franklin Avenue Residence Ribbon Cutting

Nov.06.2014

President and CEO of Lower Eastside Service Center Valerie C. Walters cuts the ribbon.

Lower Eastside Service Center (LESC) recently celebrated the opening of Franklin Avenue Residence, a beautiful new supportive housing residence in the Morrisania neighborhood in the Bronx, with 71 units of permanent housing for formerly homeless individuals as well as 27 studio apartments for low-income individuals from the community.

Speakers at the ribbon cutting ceremony included LESC’s President & CEO Valerie C. Walters, as well as Darryl C. Towns, Commissioner and CEO of NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) and Vicki Been, Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD).

Commissioner Been, the Network’s 2014 Government Partner of the Year, said “the de Blasio Administration’s Housing New York plan made a commitment to assist homeless individuals and families by providing opportunities for permanent housing. I would like to thank the Lower Eastside Service Center for doing so much to provide a much needed life-line for individuals seeking permanent housing solutions.”

Laura D. Mascuch Named Executive Director of Supportive Housing Network of New York

Oct.29.2014

The Supportive Housing Network of New York is delighted to announce that Laura D. Mascuch has been appointed to the position of Executive Director. Ms. Mascuch has worked in and around supportive housing her entire professional life, having been one of the model's pioneers in the 90's, holding office at two key City agencies, and consulting with a number of providers on large-scale projects.

Ms. Mascuch began her career at Brooklyn Catholic Charities as the Director of Caring Communities, one of New York's first supportive housing developments, she also developed Mercy Gardens, handled tax credit syndications and managed the organization's growing supportive housing portfolio. From there, Ms. Mascuch held two posts at the Department of Homeless Services between 1993 and 1999, Director of SRO Housing and New Development Unit and Assistant Commissioner, Housing and Program Planning. From 1999 to 2002, Ms. Mascuch was the Department of Health Commissioner's Chief of Staff where she coordinated key policy initiatives with city agencies and elected officials. She also managed the agency's response to several unprecedented challenges including West Nile Virus, the September 11th terrorist and anthrax attacks.

John Tynan to Retire After Four Decades at Catholic Charities

Jun.19.2014

After more than 40 years of service in the name of New York City’s most vulnerable, John Tynan has announced he will retire from Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens, his home since 1973.

Mr. Tynan has led the development of 44 affordable, senior and supportive housing residences during his celebrated career. As Executive Director of the Catholic Charities Progress of Peoples Development Corporation (CCPOP), the affordable housing developer of Catholic Charities, Mr. Tynan is responsible for roughly 10% of all senior housing in New York City.

His last day in the office will be July 3. He leaves behind a sterling legacy as a forefather in the fight to expand access to affordable housing for vulnerable populations in New York City.

“Housing really takes an army of people to develop; it was nice to be part of that ‘army’ for so many years,” Mr. Tynan said. “I am very proud of all my former CCPOP staff that have gone on to serve this city on the larger scale, such as Roseanne Haggerty, founder of Common Ground and President and CEO of Community Solutions; Connie Tempel, the Chief Operating Officer of CSH; Cindy Holler, the President of Mercy Housing Lakefront; Bill Traylor, President of Richman Housing Resources; Paul Freitag, Managing Director of Rose Development; Jerry Mascuch, Vice President of FEGS Housing and Property Development; Susan Albrecht, Executive Director of Association of New York Catholic Homes; Cathy Herman, Director of Housing at Goddard Riverside Community Center; Ariel Krasnow of West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing; Michelle Beaman, Project Manager of AHC Inc. and Shai Gross of Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation. I am very happy to have served the boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens, and I look forward to seeing what great things are to come from Catholic Charities in the future.”

Advocacy Alert: Join NYC Supportive Housing Rally this Thursday

May.27.2014

The Network will join a diverse group of advocates this Thursday for a rally in support of a new supportive housing agreement between New York City and State.

Our staff will stand alongside others for the formal launch of Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing, a new initiative to advocate for a successor to the New York/New York III Supportive Housing Agreement. We urge you to join this event. The rally will take place on Thursday, May 29 at 11:00am on the steps outside New York City Hall.

Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing is calling on Gov. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio to negotiate a new City-State agreement to create 30,000 units of supportive housing for individuals and families with special needs over the next 10 years. To date, more than 130 organizations have signed on to the campaign’s platform. You can endorse the campaign by following this link.

A new agreement would follow up three successful agreements before it: NY/NY I in 1990, NY/NY II in 1999 and NY/NY III in 2005. With NY/NY III on track to complete all 9,000 units of supportive housing in just over 10 years, it’s imperative that the City and State create a new agreement to fund supportive housing. A new agreement would also serve as an essential tool in ending New York City’s current record levels of homelessness. Supportive housing has continually proven to be the most humane and cost-effective solution to ending homelessness for the most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Grand Opening Held for Hour Children Apartment House III

May.08.2014

It was a celebratory day in Queens yesterday as Hour Children commemorated the grand opening of its third supportive housing residence.

Hour Children Apartment House III provides housing and services for 18 highly vulnerable families in the neighborhood of Long Island City. This pristine new residence houses 16 formerly homeless families through the New York/New York III Supportive Housing Agreement and two low-income families from the community. As in all of its supportive housing residences, Hour Children placed an emphasis on housing formerly incarcerated mothers and their children with its new project. The residence first opened its doors late last year and has already begun to flourish as a home for some of our neediest families.

Yesterday’s ribbon-cutting was a festive, colorful affair marked by guest speeches, prayer, song and dance. The event began with introductory remarks from Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, the CNN Hero and Executive Director of Hour Children. Her remarks gave way to the National Anthem, as sung by students from VOICE Charter School. A pastor from the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer then led the many partners and friends of the residence in a brief prayer.

National Low Income Housing Coalition Holds Annual Conference

May.06.2014

The Network was proud to participate in the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC)’s annual conference in Washington, DC last month. The event included a keynote address from US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, who praised the coalition’s 40-year history of fighting for affordable housing. He recalled that in his earlier days at HUD, under then-Secretary Andrew Cuomo, he frequently saw Coalition founder Cushing Dolbeare have lunch with his boss. “Cushing was my hero’s hero,” the Secretary related.

We were honored to participate this year as both workshop presenters and New York State captains for the advocacy day held after the conference.

Network Executive Director Ted Houghton presented on a panel on the Affordable Care Act, in which he highlighted New York’s Medicaid Redesign efforts. The panel also featured Christine Campbell of Housing Works, the organization behind the Housing Is Healthcare campaign, and Peggy Bailey, CSH’s expert on healthcare. The Network’s Steve Piasecki appeared on several panels to discuss another federal campaign, United for Homes. In a conversation led by Coalition Executive Director Sheila Crowley, Mr. Piasecki shared the challenges and successes of gaining support for United for Homes in New York. Mr. Piasecki also had the privilege of introducing Mark Johnston of HUD for the annual “Ask HUD” session.

New Supportive Housing Residence Opens in the Bronx

Apr.16.2014

Roughly 100 friends and partners gathered last week for the grand opening of Odyssey House Soundview Avenue, the new home of 56 formerly homeless New Yorkers. Located in the Bronx, this supportive housing residence provides studio apartments and access to services for some of the most vulnerable men and women in New York City.

A number of guest speakers were on hand at the April 10 ribbon cutting. Among those to deliver remarks at the event were NYS Rep. Marcos Crespo, James Lupoli of the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), a tenant at the residence and several senior staffers at Odyssey House, the nonprofit developer of the project. Soundview Avenue is one of two supportive housing residences by Odyssey House to open in April.

“Helping people faced with the challenges of mental illness and/or substance abuse disorders is our mission,” said Dr. Peter Provet, President and CEO of Odyssey House. “With the opening this spring of these two new buildings, Odyssey House currently manages the housing and supportive services needs of 171 formerly homeless New Yorkers who, despite serious mental health challenges, are now living in their own homes.”

All 56 apartments at Odyssey House Soundview Avenue were built with funding through the New York/New York III Supportive Housing Agreement. OMH provided funding for both the construction of the residence and its operations and services. The NYS Housing Finance Agency contributed capital funding as well.

RIP Steven Warren, Homeless Advocate

Apr.01.2014

The Network was deeply saddened last month by the death of Steven B. Warren, a longtime member of the New York supportive housing community. Mr. Warren was the former Executive Director of Services for the UnderServed (SUS) and Chairman of the Board of Directors at Praxis Housing Initiatives. He passed away on March 21.

“Steve’s story is one of courage, conviction and accomplishment,” said Svein Jorgensen, Chief Executive Officer of Praxis Housing Initiatives. “He was a visionary and a giant in the nonprofit field. His work impacted the lives of thousands of homeless and disabled New Yorkers.”

Mr. Warren began his time in the New York human services sector in the 1980s as a program planner for Project Return (now Palladia). He then moved on to serve as Executive Director of SUS, a prominent Network member, in 1987. It was during his tenure that SUS opened The Knickerbocker, one of the first supportive housing residences in the nation for veterans. SUS has since become one of the premier housing and services providers for veterans in New York City.

Mr. Warren himself was a veteran of the Vietnam War, and it was this experience that moved him to open the Knickerbocker.

News Media Highlights Sister Tesa, Hour Children

Mar.14.2014

Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, two stories were published this week on Sister Tesa Fitzgerald, the celebrated Irish American and executive director of a Queens-based supportive housing provider.

The pieces, which ran in the Wall Street Journal and Irish Central, highlight the recent opening of Hour Apartment House II, a supportive housing residence that opened late last year. The residence offers housing and services to formerly incarcerated women and their children.

The Wall Street Journal piece highlights the warm, inviting atmosphere created by Hour Children, the nonprofit that developed the residence. “I never thought I would live somewhere so beautiful,” says one of the tenants. “When you out there on the street, you don't think someone like Sister Tesa could love a total stranger. I'm glad she loves me,” says another. It’s a moving account of how supportive housing can transform the lives of some of New York’s most underserved individuals and families (please note that this article may be behind a pay wall).

Supportive Housing Providers Reduce Veteran Homelessness in New York

Nov.11.2013

(left to right) Jericho Project's Kingsbridge Terrace, a supportive housing residence for veterans in the Bronx; a tenant at The Knickerbocker, a transitional residence for vets from Services for the UnderServed (SUS); and the crowd outside the grand opening of the Richard J. Conners Veterans Home, a supportive housing residence from Albany Housing Coalition. Tenant photo courtesy of SUS.

On this Veterans Day, we wish to discuss the national tragedy of veteran homelessness.

In an era of fierce partisanship in Washington, D.C., ending homelessness among veterans remains one of the few issues both Democrats and Republicans can support. The Obama administration hopes to end veteran homelessness for good by the end of 2015. The administration, and the country, has a long way to go: According to the most recent estimates, nearly 63,000 homeless individuals identify as veterans in the United States. More than 6,000 of these men and women live in New York State.

New York nonprofits have taken a vigorous approach to lowering these numbers. Our state saw a 14% decrease in veteran homelessness from 2011 to 2012. We can attribute much of this drop to increased funding for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) vouchers and the work of our more than 220 supportive housing providers in New York.

Jericho Project offers a great example of how supportive housing nonprofits have helped end homelessness among veterans. An innovator in this field, Jericho launched a program last month to provide services to vets at risk of long-term homelessness.

This new program enables Jericho, for the first time, to provide homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing services to at-risk veterans and their families. Jericho offers assistance through case management, help with increasing income and direct cash assistance. The organization aims to serve 225 veterans this year. This new program is just one component of Jericho’s larger Veterans Initiative, which includes two supportive housing residences for vets.

“Jericho Project launched its Veterans Initiative in 2006 to address the specific needs of homeless veterans, with the recognition that veterans often do better when they are part of a supportive community of other veterans,” said Jericho Project Executive Director Tori Lyon. “Our goal is to help chronically homeless veterans heal and thrive while also preventing another generation of veterans falling into homelessness.”