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03.12.2018
March 6th marked the Annual Lobby Day for the supportive housing community. Over 120 supportive housing staff and tenants from 38 organizations made their way to the state capital to push lawmakers for more supportive housing funding in the state of New York.
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March 6th marked the Annual Lobby Day for the supportive housing community. Over 120 supportive housing staff and tenants from 38 organizations made their way to the state capital to push lawmakers for more supportive housing funding in the state of New York.
Our legislative agenda was centered on the need to support adequate funding for new and existing supportive housing programs, and we are proud to say it was widely welcomed by the legislators who committed to moving the ball forward on our collective agenda.
More specifically the legislative asks included the following:
Add $20 million to the Office of Mental Health’s (OMH) housing budget to begin to rescue chronically-underfunded housing for 36,000 mentally ill New Yorkers
- Add $30 million to the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Homeless Housing Assistance Program
- Add $3.4 million to OTDA Homeless Housing & Preventive Services budget
- Support workforce enhancements recommended by Strong Nonprofits For a Better New York
We met with over 63 legislators and staff including face to face meetings with Assemblyman Steven Cymbrowitz, Housing Committee Chair; Senate Deputy Majority Leader John DeFrancisco; Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi, Social Services Committee Chair; Senator Liz Krueger, Assemblyman Al Taylor, Senator David Valesky, and Senator Catharine Young, Finance Chair.
Lawmakers also heard moving testimonies from supportive housing tenants who provided powerful personal stories to demonstrate the effectiveness of supportive housing.
“I have a one bedroom with a window and I love it. It’s a wonderful feeling to have a place and not wait for somebody to help you,” said Deborah Dickerson, a tenant of supportive housing to lawmakers.
A big thank you to all our members who made this such a successful and impactful day and to all the legislators who continue to champion supportive housing across the state of New York!
Check out our Facebook photo album for highlights of the day.