Categories: Member News
04.13.2020
Dear Supportive Housing Community:
We want to express our deepest thanks and admiration: to our members who are working tirelessly to keep their tenants, their staff and their organizations safe; to our government partners who are working 24/7 to provide flexibility, guidance and support to our nonprofit community, to the foundations and financial institutions who are offering financial and material support, and to the individuals and groups who, seeing a desperate need in New York are reaching out to offer assistance. We would also like to extend our sympathies to all of you who have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a community, we have suffered many losses to this shockingly lethal virus in an unthinkably short period of time.
We also wanted to let you know that we are here for you and are doing whatever we can to assist. This past month – which feels very much like several months -- we have been advocating to our city and state partners for contract flexibility, cash assistance and incentive pay and have posted all the information available on our website and flagged with blog posts and weekly updates. We are pleased to report that the city has agreed to reimburse incentive pay in their contracts and work to get all front line staff included; we continue to press the state for similar resources and flexibility. In NYC we have undertaken the role of go-between between our city partners and our members in hoteling for sick tenants unable to self-isolate. We have also helped providers connect with city government partners on individual dire situations. We have been working to connect with both our NYC and ROS providers through weekly calls, as well as working with individual organizations on specific issues. We have been attempting to digest and post relevant information on city, state and federal programs as well as available foundation opportunities. We have also been securing and distributing supplies and personal protective equipment for your amazing frontline staff and tenants. In addition, we have been talking to the city and state housing agencies to determine the impact COVID will have on our pipeline.
We are also advocating with state and national partners to ensure that the nonprofit housing and human services community is prioritized in future federal stimulus packages. We are in awe of our community’s courage and commitment in the face of this devastating disease. You do amazing work every day and are beacons of light during these much harder days. Thank you.
Stay safe,
Laura