Categories: New York City, Member News
05.27.2014
Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing to Launch outside NY City Hall
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.
Previous City-State agreements have historically resulted in improved health and housing outcomes for homeless individuals and families living with disabilities, all while saving taxpayer dollars otherwise spent on expensive institutional care, shelters and other public resources. A recent government study found that homeless or institutionalized people placed into NY/NY III supportive housing saved taxpayers a net average of $10,100 per person per year. There aren’t enough apartments to meet the record need, however, and the current supportive housing agreement between NYC and NYS ends next year.
We are grateful for the open and positive dialogue we’ve had so far with our government partners. We hope all those reading this will join us this Thursday for the launch of Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing. If you have any question about how you can get involved in the Campaign 4 NY/NY Housing, contact Johanna Walczyk at jwalczyk@shnny.org. See you this Thursday!
Photograph by Thomas Donley