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02.11.2026
On February 5, the Supportive Housing Network of New York brought more than 200 advocates from across the state to Albany for our 2026 State Lobby Day. Together, we held 65+ meetings with lawmakers and rallied at the Capitol’s Million Dollar Staircase to demand strong investments in supportive housing in the final 2026–2027 State Budget.
With Senator Brian Kavanaugh serving as legislative co-sponsor, advocates urged lawmakers to prioritize:
- The New York State Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP): $62.1 million increase, automatic contract renewals and increased flexibility to protect nearly 10,000 at-risk units
- The Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP): $281 million total to build nearly 1,000 more supportive housing units annually while continuing to stabilize older projects
- A 2.7% Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII) for all State human services contracts
See our full list of priorities HERE.
At the rally, speakers underscored what’s at stake.
Network Executive Director Pascale Leone kicked off the rally, saying: “Let me be very clear: when federal policy becomes chaotic and unpredictable, state leadership matters more than ever. New York has the power and responsibility to protect its most vulnerable residents by strengthening the supportive housing system we control right here in New York.”
Supportive housing tenant James Emmick shared: “The supportive housing that I’m in is a godsend. This works. The program works. If you underfund it, you’re going to put people in the street, prison, or jail.”
Tenant advocate Clifton Clark added: “Supportive housing workers dedicate their lives to giving back because they care. There are people dying out there, and when they see me, I’m living proof that you can do it if you try.”
Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal said: “People facing complex physical and mental health challenges, veterans, domestic violence survivors, and others rely on supportive housing to escape homelessness. Strong investment in these programs is essential to counter federal decisions and years of chronic underfunding.”
Assemblymember Steven Raga emphasized: “Supportive housing is one of the most effective ways to keep people stably housed and connected to services. While last year’s investment was an important step forward, the loss of NYSSHP-funded homes shows why sustained funding must be a priority in this budget.”
Assemblymember Brian Cunningham noted: “As federal support grows more uncertain, New York must lead with stable, long-term investments in our housing stock. We need to build more housing and make meaningful improvements to what we already have.”
Tenant advocate Sharike concluded: “I’m not going to stop showing up and lending my voice—to share what my life is like in a New Destiny building, how they take care of me as a tenant, and what we need to make sure other tenants are taken care of too.”
In the afternoon, we hosted a policy briefing focused on two urgent issues affecting currently and formerly homeless New Yorkers:
- The RISE Up Campaign, a two-part bill package expanding protections for unhoused communities and grounded in the leadership of people with lived experience.
- Threats to federal Continuum of Care (CoC) program, which provides housing to approximately 14,000 New York households, and the latest updates on its status and related advocacy efforts.
Thank you to every advocate, tenant leader, provider, and legislator who made the day a success. Your voices sent a clear message to Albany: supportive housing saves lives and it must remain a state priority.
We look forward to continuing this fight together to secure the stable, long-term investments New Yorkers need.
See photos from the day here.
Read the full press release here.
View press coverage below and help amplify our message using our social media toolkit here.
Press coverage:
State of Politics: New York advocates press for more funding for supportive housing in state budget
CBS News 6: Decades of underinvestment': Supportive housing advocates rally for increased funding
News 10 ABC: Albany rally seeks $62.1 million more for supportive housing
Finger Lakes 1: Advocates push statewide supportive housing funding boost