Categories: New York State
03.09.2015
The Network, along with Homeless Services United, brought a record group of 92 providers and tenants to Albany on March 3rd.
Assembly Member Cathy Nolan with tenants and staff from Hour Children
The Network, along with Homeless Services United, brought a record group of 92 providers and tenants to Albany on March 3rd. Our second lobby day was extremely productive – we had 42 meetings with legislators and staff.
Network Executive Director Laura Mascuch lauded the supportive housing community for all the work we’ve been doing together to increase the number of units in NY/NY 4. “We are desperately in need of more permanent housing with on-site services in the City and statewide for the most vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Mascuch.
In addition to our meetings with individual legislators, the Network’s Deputy Executive Director Nicole Branca joined Marc Greenberg of the Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing and Cris Parque of Homeless Services United, Reverend Georgiette Morgan-Thomas of Goddard Riverside Community Center, Laura Jervis of the Westside Federation of Senior and Supportive Housing, Reverend Terry Troia of Project Hospitality, Deborah Damm O’Brien of Catholic Charities and Michael Callahan of Nazareth Housing, to present a letter signed by 169 New York faith leaders advocating for a more robust NY/NY 4 agreement, to the Governor’s Assistant Secretary for Housing, Kisha Santiago-Martinez.
Our goals for lobby day were clear: the Governor’s current proposal of 5,000 units is a start, but does not adequately meet the enormous need for supportive housing particularly in New York City which currently has 60,000 people in its shelter system. Our ask is for 30,000 units in NYC with 15,000 new construction units, and 5,000 units for the rest of the state over a ten-year period. In addition, we are asking for increased supportive housing funding in the budget which includes:
- adding $8 million to the OTDA Homeless Housing and Prevention Services budget -- $2.46 million for the NYS Supportive housing Program (NYSSHP); $530,000 for a 2% increase for supportive housing direct service staff; and $5 million for the Solutions to End Homelessness Program (STEHP);
- and adding an additional $99 million to the Office of Mental Health’s budget to fully fund more than 22,000 units of licensed and unlicensed housing that have been chronically underfunded for many years: $43 million for 17,000 units of Supported Housing; $24 million for 3,000 units of CR/SRO housing; and $13 million for 2,700 units of SP/SRO Housing.
Network staff and members brought compelling statistics and insights to the legislators with whom we met. The OTDA Homeless Housing and Prevention Services funds NYSSHP and STEHP. NYSSHP pays for essential housing-based services and supports for 16,296 individuals, families and youth in 237 residences across the state and have not received full funding in 4 years. Supportive housing providers from Rochester and Syracuse told legislators about the severe hardships they face trying to meet the service needs of their chronically homeless tenants without NYSSHP funding. STEHP, meanwhile, funds 70 programs in all areas of the state to provide homelessness prevention services. One advocate whose program was cut last year pointed out that it cost as little as $2,000 to keep a family from becoming homeless.
A big thank you to all of our members, tenants and fellow advocates who joined us for this very action-packed lobby day, and a special thank you to Robert Sanborn for contributing our bus transportation!