Categories: Network Events
06.12.2014
1,600 registered guests, 23 workshops, 100 panelists, one day!
The news-making morning plenary at the 14th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference on June 5, 2014.
Major government announcements, packed workshops and a cocktail reception featuring prominent elected officials were among the many highlights of the 14th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference.
Held last Thursday in New York City, the event attracted nearly 1,600 registered friends and members of the Supportive Housing Network of New York. We’re proud to confirm that our conference was indeed the largest supportive housing event ever convened. Our full-day conference included a news-making roundtable dialogue with three of Gov. Cuomo’s closest policy advisors, special remarks from NYC Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen, 23 workshops, a cocktail reception and much more. You’ll find a full overview of our day below. Follow this link or scroll down for our photo gallery from the day. To the 1,600 registered attendees: We thank you so much for helping to make this day so memorable!
The day began with introductory remarks from the Network’s senior personnel, Executive Director Ted Houghton and Board Chair Bill Traylor. NYC Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen then took the stage to discuss Mayor Bill de Blasio’s recently-released plan to develop or preserve 200,000 units of affordable housing over the next 10 years.
The morning session ended with a barnburner: a roundtable dialogue that confirmed Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s commitment to a new City-State agreement to develop supportive housing across the state. The Governor would, for the first time, expand the agreement statewide, which is welcome news to our members outside NYC. We were honored to be the venue for the first public announcement of the Governor's plans. Fran Reiter, New York State’s Executive Deputy Director of State Operations, revealed to the standing-room-only ballroom that Gov. Cuomo has signed off on the idea of using a portion of funds from the settlement with JP Morgan Chase to finance a follow-up to the current, highly successful City-State partnership. Ms. Reiter made this announcement alongside NYS Deputy Secretaries Louisa Chafee and Courtney Burke.
“Yesterday, I got the approval to tell all of you today that the governor has signed off on the plan and will fight for this plan and will fight for a New York/New York IV,” Ms. Reiter said to thunderous applause.
This announcement sparked articles in Capital New York, New York Nonprofit Press and considerable discussion on social media.
“I don’t think there’s been a more successful public policy than supportive housing ever,” Ms. Reiter said to close out the morning plenary.
The eventful morning session gave way a full day of 23 workshops split into three breakout sessions. Workshops in the first session included a high-level panel on Mayor de Blasio’s housing plan. Vicki Been, the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), presented on the plan with NYC Council Member Jumaane Williams, Todd Gomez of Bank of America and Ingrid Gould Ellen of the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, among others.
That same workshop session hosted a meeting of the minds on supportive housing and how our model has helped New York State achieve multiple policy goals. NYS Director of Medicaid Jason A. Helgerson joined NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Commissioner/CEO Darryl C. Towns, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Commissioner Kristin M. Proud and others for this robust dialogue. Bill Chong, the newly-appointed Commissioner of the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), also made his conference debut this session during a workshop on how NYC can better serve vulnerable and homeless young adults.
As always, the first workshop session was followed by a networking lunch, which allowed our attendees to eat, mingle and make new friends.
We hosted two more rounds of workshops in the afternoon. One marquee panel brought together several key players in the fight to end homelessness in New York City. NYC Council Member Stephen Levin provided his perspective as Chair of the Council’s General Welfare Committee alongside NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Gilbert Taylor and NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA) Commissioner Steven Banks on this high-powered panel.
Elsewhere, a workshop on the efforts of public housing authorities to end homelessness featured NYC Housing Authority (NYCHA) Chair/CEO and former Network Board Member Shola Olatoye. She discussed NYCHA’s plan with Alex Castro, Executive Director of the Rochester Housing Authority, and others.
This year’s workshops reflected the incredible diversity of our community. To learn more about each workshop – including sessions on housing veterans, emergency preparedness, Health Homes, medical respite, at-risk youth, bond financing, harm reduction and many other topics – follow this link.
The special guests continued into our post-conference cocktail reception. Joining us this year to deliver brief remarks were three NYC elected officials: Comptroller Scott Stringer, Public Advocate Letitia James and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer. Each speaker offered our conference attendees inspirational words and a hearty endorsement of supportive housing.
We’d like to express enormous gratitude to everyone who attended, spoke and volunteered at the 14th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference. It’s no secret that this conference is the largest single undertaking of our calendar year. We put it on, year after year, to shine a light on the extraordinary work being done by our more than 220 nonprofit members. We salute you, and we thank you for creating the more than 47,000 units of supportive housing in New York State. We hope your day was as pleasant and rejuvenating as ours!