Newsfeed Category: New York State

Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Program

Sep.20.2017

Panelists address the crowd at the presentation of the Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Program evaluations.

Some 70 representatives from a broad spectrum of health and housing organizations gathered at the offices of Robin Hood September 12th for a presentation on first year evaluations of the Medicaid Redesign Team Supportive Housing Program by representatives of the Department of Health (DOH) and SUNY Albany. 

Welcomed by Robin Hood’s Managing Director for Health programs, Sarah Oltmans, the Network’s Laura Mascuch then framed the morning’s focus and introduced the presenters. She also summarized the Evaluation’s overall findings: that the programs reduced inpatient days by 40%; reduced emergency department visits by 26%; reduced rehab admissions by 44% and inpatient psych admissions by 27%; and reduced overall Medicaid spend by 15%.

DOH Deputy Medicaid Director Liz Misa kicked off the presentation by giving an overview of the MRT program, by far the largest investment in housing by any state health agency in the country. To date the program has invested $641 million over seven years; served 11,000 high need Medicaid recipients, developed 19 rental subsidy and supportive service programs statewide, added 1,482 units to the state’s supportive housing inventory and prioritized placements in single-site residences for the most vulnerable Medicaid recipients. Ms. Misa then showed a brief film created by BronxWorks in which tenants of their Health Home Supportive Housing Pilot Program described the impact of having stable housing. That program has produced a 46% reduction for the first seven participants for whom they have data, according to the Bronx Health and Housing Consortium.

The research team from SUNY Albany then took over, unpacking cost and utilization data from the tenants of 11 MRT housing-related programs. Dr. Lauren Polvere led off, describing the tenants in terms of their demographics, ethnicity and chronic conditions. Dr. Sandra McGinnis and Dr. Diane Dewar took attendees through the utilization and cost reports, paying special attention to two of the supportive housing programs that had the most robust outcomes in cost and utilization – scattered-site programs for high-need Medicaid recipients run by the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) and the Office of Mental Health.

Representatives from city and state government, MRT supportive housing, Managed Care Organizations, foundations and health care professionals then participated in an hour-long discussion of the results and proposed next steps. Presenters told attendees that additional studies are being conducted to inform effective targeting of participants for the MRT units as well as to better understand unmet need. Ms. Misa left open the possibility of expansion or creation of new programs depending on budget discussions.

We thank the presenters as well as our Robin Hood hosts for the opportunity to discuss this groundbreaking work.

Kenyon Craig, Housing Visions’ CEO, steps down after 27 years

Aug.02.2017

Kenyon Craig.

In 1994, I returned to my home town of Syracuse to help Central New York Services open the first upstate supportive housing residence. I was fortunate to have Housing Visions (HV) as a next door neighbor.  HV had been buying and rehabbing multiple properties in the area, using the fairly new Low Income Housing Tax Credit to create neighborhood change. That’s how I came to know the brilliant work of Kenyon Craig, HV’s founder.  I was fortunate to see our neighborhood change around us as these investments helped make run-down Greek Revival, Queen Anne and Arts and Crafts homes new again.  Over time, the boarded-up, dilapidated and often vacant homes of East Genesee Street have been replaced by well-maintained homes and rising property values: so much so that HV can no longer afford to develop there (not that they need to)!has been transformed. 

Housing Visions has continued to grow and innovate since those days, creating extraordinary residences like VanKeuren Square for homeless veterans or replacing an old public housing tower with beautiful garden apartments in another supportive housing development, Maple Heights.

After 27 years of success that began in a church basement in that same neighborhood Ken recently announced his retirement.  Over the years, Ken and HV developed about 1,600 units of affordable and supportive housing across New York, from Niagara Falls to Albany, from Oswego to the Pennsylvania border.  He showed me the amazing way affordable housing development can lead to community renewal.

I wish you well in retirement, Ken!

Utilization Evaluations of the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) Supportive Housing Initiative

Jul.24.2017

The New York State Department of Health recently released SUNY Research Foundation’s cost evaluation and utilization evaluation of the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) Supportive Housing initiative. The two reports are the first installment in a three-year study.

The Community Builders Opens a Beautiful New Affordable/Supportive Housing Residence

Jun.27.2017

Cutting the ribbon at Tapestry on the Hudson.

On June 6th, The Community Builders and Unity House held a ribbon cutting for Tapestry on the Hudson (“Tapestry”), a new affordable and supportive housing residence in Troy.  The residence, a former collar factory, was converted into 67 apartments, including 19 supportive units primarily for families.  Troy is known as the Collar City having been the one-time center of manufacturing for celluloid collars at the turn of the 20th Century. 

Governor Signs Legislation for $1 Billion to Build 6,000 Units of Supportive Housing

May.19.2017

Governor Andrew Cuomo with advocates at the bill signing.

Yesterday Governor Andrew Cuomo, accompanied by Speaker of the New York State Assembly Carl Heastie, Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York President Gary LaBarbera, and Breaking Ground's President and CEO Brenda Rosen, signed a historic bill announcing $2.5 billion for the creation and preservation of 6,000 new units of supportive housing and over 110,000 units of affordable housing over the next five years, in the ballroom of Breaking Ground's The Prince George. This capital funding is the first installment in the Governor's unprecedented commitment to build 20,000 new units of supportive housing over the next fifteen years.

Thanks to Our Government Partners for $1 Billion in Supportive Housing Capital!

Apr.28.2017

Assembly Member Andrew Hevesi, Senator Cathy Young, Senator Betty Little, and Assembly Member Steve Cymbrowitz being recognized for their critical support.

A press conference was held April 26th at the Capitol in Albany to thank our government partners and celebrate the successful culmination of the Campaign 4 NY Housing.  We now have an unprecedented capital commitment for 6,000 new supportive housing units over five years from New York State.

NYS Budget Provides Funding for Five Years of Supportive & Affordable Housing

Apr.07.2017

Speaker Heastie, Governor Cuomo, and Majority Leader Flanagan

The Network would like to thank Governor Cuomo, Speaker Heastie, and Majority Leader Flanagan for funding five years of supportive and affordable housing to address New York’s homeless and affordable housing crisis.  On behalf of our community, our more than 200 supportive housing providers and the thousands more vulnerable homeless people they will now be able to serve, thank you.  This is a great day for New York.

New York State Budget Update

Mar.17.2017

This week, the Assembly and Senate approved their one-house budgets, which serve as their spending proposals in response to the Executive budget released in January.  There are no major changes to the programs important to supportive housing from the Executive proposal.   

Network’s Lobby Day : Meetings with 60+ Legislators in Albany

Mar.13.2017

Network members and Executive Director Laura Mascuch with Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz.

On March 1st, the Network hosted our annual Albany lobby day.  Over 130 of our members’ tenants and staff took part in over 60 legislative meetings, including face to face meetings with the Assembly Chairs of Social Services, Mental Health and Housing.

Leadership Changes at New York State Homes and Community Renewal

Feb.27.2017

Former HCR Commissioner James S. Rubin and new HCR Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas.

On February 10, 2017 Governor Cuomo announced that James S. Rubin, Commissioner of New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), would become the new Director of Operations for the Executive Chamber. A week later, the Governor appointed RuthAnne Visnauskas to succeed Mr. Rubin as Commissioner of HCR.