Category Archives: Health

State Lets Domestic-Violence Victims Shield Addresses

March 20, 2013 11:18 am Leave a Comment

A new program in New York allows domestic-violence victims to shield their addresses from abusers by having mail sent to a substitute address handled by the Department of State, reports The Journal News.

The Address Confidentiality Program is free and is available to domestic-violence victims who have relocated or plan to move for safety reasons. Other individuals living in the same household, such as children, parents and siblings, may be able to participate too.

The state provides participants with a substitute address that all first-class, registered and certified mail could be sent to, and the Department of State forwards it to them. The agency also accepts legal notices on behalf of people in the program.

The program began Oct. 26, 2012, but it wasn’t formally announced until this week, said Laz Benitez, an agency spokesman. The state has been providing the information to shelters and other community service providers since last year.

It will cost just over $125,000 a year to operate the program, according to Benitez. The Department of State could not provide information on how many people currently are participating.

Applicants must fill out a form available at www.dos.ny.gov/acp.

Once accepted into the program, they will receive an identification card. State and local governments must accept the substitute address, although private companies, such as utilities, are not obligated to use it. The program members will be enrolled for four years and can reapply.

Mail is repackaged and sent on a daily basis during the week, except on holidays. The lag time in receiving the mail typically is five to seven days. The program doesn’t forward packages, periodicals and catalogs, unless they are clearly identifiable as prescription drugs or were sent by a government agency. For more information, call 855-350-4595, a toll-free number.

Filed Under: Domestic Violence, Health, Nonprofit Headline News, Nonprofit Help Center, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , ,

Self-Advocates & Families Speak Out Against Medicaid Cuts

February 25, 2013 12:19 pm Leave a Comment

Individuals with developmental disabilities and their families are expressing serious concerns about Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal last week for an across-the-board 6% cut in funding for nonprofit providers of developmental disabilities services.   The cut – a $120 million reduction in Federal Medicaid funding which will translate into an approximately $240 million in total cuts to services – are part of an overall package of savings designed to fill a $500 million State budget hole resulting from a Federal reduction in reimbursement for New York State’s DD Centers.   The Federal Government is accusing the State of submitting claims for these services which were excessive by as much as $1 billion annually.

“The board of the Self-Advocacy Association of New York State, (SANYS), believes it is a mistake for New York State to cut 240 million dollars from agencies that provide supports for people with developmental disabilities,” said Stephen Holmes, Administrative Director for SANYS.  “In our statements of the last few years, we have said that in resolving the funding problems with CMS, New York must ensure that OPWDD keep all of the funds it currently has in support of people and transform how it spends that money over time into a truly people first system.  And we need all those dollars as we move to managed care and at the same time try to meet the needs of the thousands of people and their families who are waiting for supports to live and work and do the things that are meaningful to them in their communities.”

Margaret Pudington, a parent and founder of the Coalition of Families for Direct Support Staff in Services for People with Developmental Disabilities, spoke in powerfully personal terms about what the proposed cuts could mean for her son and herself, as well as for other families of individuals with developmental disabilities.

“The announcement of the magnitude of the proposed cut to OPWDD frightened me so deeply that I literally had nightmares all night about my son with developmental disabilities being lost on the street,” said Margaret Pudington “Those nightmares are about to become  reality if this 6% cut to OPWDD is enacted.  Because of previous sizable cuts, providers have already taken every conceivable efficiency.  There is nothing left to cut but staff.  And that is why I am so afraid.  This cut will punish those least able to care for themselves, those who rely on staff for their very safety as well as for the quality of their lives.”

The proposed package cuts and savings was announced last week as part of Governor Cuomo’s 30-Day Amendments to his Executive Budget proposal for FY2013-14 which begins on April 1.

Filed Under: Children, Finance, Health, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Good News & The Bad in Governor’s Budget

January 25, 2013 2:28 pm Leave a Comment

Nonprofit providers and advocates are continuing to examine Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget Proposal for FY2013-14 to determine the potential impacts on human services programs.   Here are some more comments on what the sector likes and doesn’t like.

Early Childhood

The Governor’s inclusion of a $25 million increase for full day Pre-K, on the other hand, drew widespread praise from advocates, including the Ready for Kindergarten, Ready for College Campaign, a coalition of early childhood, education and community organizations. The new full day Pre-K funding would be the first state sponsored full-day pre-kindergarten program in the New York.

“Governor Cuomo’s plan to create the first state-funded, full-day pre-kindergarten initiative is a welcome and important step,” said Billy Easton, Executive Director of the Alliance for Quality Education. “Full-day pre-kindergarten increases student success in school, raises graduation rates, and increases lifetime earnings of students. This initiative builds on the long term leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver on providing pre-kindergarten to four year olds.”

“Investing in full day Pre-K provides a major return on investment, both boosting our kids’ success and providing savings in the long term,” said Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. “This investment is a great step toward providing our kids with the path to success and making our communities strong.”

“Governor Cuomo has made it clear that our youngest learners should be a key priority for New York State,” said Nancy Kolben, Executive Director, Center for Children’s Initiatives. “We know that investing in full day Pre-K drastically increases our children’s chances at success in the future, making this a very wise initiative.”

“There is strong and significant research that shows that high quality early care and learning improves educational outcomes, reduces disparities and saves money,” said Kate Breslin of the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy and WinningBeginning NY. “The Governor’s plan to expand full-day Pre-K is a strong first step to reaching at-risk children early for lasting impact. We are eager to work with policymakers to ensure that the State makes sound investments in high quality early education.”

“Governor Cuomo has embraced the critical role early education plays in our children’s educational foundation, acknowledging that success in school is determined largely by the experiences children have before they start Kindergarten,” said Dana E. Friedman, Ed.D., Founder and President, The Early Years Institute. “With investment in full day Pre-K, especially in high needs districts, we’ll be able to ensure that our most vulnerable children will have more opportunities, putting them on a stronger path to school readiness.”

“The Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA) applauds Governor Cuomo for including vital early childhood education funding increases for low-income children and their working parents in the Executive Budge,” said Jennifer Jones Austin, Executive Director & CEO.  “The $25 million to support full-day pre-kindergarten programs for high-need students in low-income communities will ensure that these children will enter school more ready to learn.”

Behavioral Health

At first blush, providers and advocates seemed relieved … and perhaps pleasantly surprised by what they saw in the Governor’s proposals for mental health services.

“There were no cuts to the community safety net and perhaps the promise of some increased savings through reinvestment savings from anticipated hospital downsizing,” noted Harvey Rosenthal, Executive Director of the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (NYAPRS).    Rosenthal also noted that there appeared to be positives in enhancements to Health Homes and additional community housing.

“We like very much the emphasis on community housing,” said Phillip Saperia, Executive Director of the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies.  While waiting for additional detail, he also praised the proposed restructuring of the State’s psychiatric centers.  “This system has needed close scrutiny and some fixing for a long time,” he said.  “The fact that they are going to look at it is good… and the fact that they are going to reinvest savings into community services is really good.”

On the other hand, Andrea Smyth, Executive Director of the NYS Coalition for Children’s Mental Health Services argues that the failure to offer COLAs and rate increases to keep pace with inflation has a detrimental impact on services.  She notes that a recent review of children’s outpatient mental health clinics showed 20 of 22 clinics losing significant amounts of money.  “Despite widespread public awareness that the children’s behavioral health care system’s capacity is not robust enough to meet the needs of all the kids with unmet mental health needs, the Governor fails to make investments that are on parity with the recommendations in the general health care field,” she says.

Substance Abuse Services

While still waiting for additional budget details, John Coppola, Executive Director of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of NYS, expressed concern over whether sufficient resources were being provided to meet the growing demand for services.  He pointed to reports of increased heroin usage and forecasts of even greater growth in response to legislative action to clamp down on physicians in an effort to curb prescriptions drug abuse.   He also noted that cuts in federal funding had substantially reduced funding at the State level for prevention programming.

“It is disappointing that there hasn’t been a stronger policy initiative focused on misuse of drugs and that the budget doesn’t reflect any new initiatives in this area,” he said.

At the same time, Coppola expressed some hope that improved integration of substance abuse services with other healthcare providers might leverage savings in the Department of Health budget that could be used to fund treatment.

Health & HIV/AIDS

“FPWA is very pleased to know that the Governor has committed $15 million to develop the Health Homes infrastructure. We hope some of this funding will be allocated to community-based organizations to develop capacity for health information technology,” stated Esther Lok, Assistant Director of Policy, Advocacy and Research and Senior Policy Analyst for HIV/AIDS.  “FPWA is, however, concerned about the funding reduction made to the AIDS Institute and the lack of clarity on the level of appropriation to HIV/AIDS programs.  New York State has made tremendous progress toward achieving the national goal of zero HIV infections.  Resources for prevention, care and support services should be kept intact.”

Filed Under: Child Care, Finance, Health, HIV/AIDS, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Local Advocates Turn Attention to “Fiscal Cliff”

November 10, 2012 6:42 am Leave a Comment

With the election over, a group of grassroots, human service, and organized labor groups turned their attention to imminent negotiations in Washington to avoid mandated across-the-board budget cuts, i.e. the “fiscal cliff”, that are scheduled to begin in January. These mandated cuts will total $1.2 trillion over the next 10 years and dramatically slash budgets for both defense and domestic discretionary spending — spending which supports a broad range of human service programs.

Yesterday, local advocacy groups gathered with Congressman Paul Tonko to call on President Obama and the New York Congressional delegation to fight for a “fair deal” in negotiations aimed at identifying an alternative set of deficit reduction actions, e.g. tax increases for wealthiest Americans, to replace the across-the-board sequestration cuts.

“Now that this year’s elections are over, it is time to govern” stated Congressman Paul Tonko. “Our nation is facing a number of unprecedented challenges that demand a thoughtful, balanced approach.  I believe that we can bring fairness to our tax code and strengthen vital programs such as Social Security and Medicare through an honest dialogue and bipartisan cooperation.  It is my hope that the season for politics is behind us and the President and Congress can get to work addressing these issues with clarity and respect.

“It’s time to put the politics aside and focus on the needs of the people,” said Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. “We need to make sure that any ‘grand bargain’ preserves and protects Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid and puts an end to the tax breaks and special deals for the privileged few.  It’s time to rebuild our economy from the bottom up, since the top down approach has been a dismal failure.”

“The greater danger is that misguided fears about the economy going over a ‘fiscal cliff’ into another Great Recession will lead policymakers to believe they have to take some action, no matter how ill-conceived and damaging to long-term deficit reduction, before the end of the year, rather than craft a balanced plan that supports the economic recovery in the short term and promotes fiscal stabilization in the intermediate and longer run,” said Frank Mauro, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute.

“Our economy can’t recover if we’re offering a $1 trillion tax cut to millionaires and billionaires,” said Jessica Wisneski, Campaigns Director for Citizen Action of New York. “The results of these elections prove that voters are standing with elected leaders who will fight to protect the programs and services that our working families rely on every day. Our communities can no longer suffer from the greed of CEO campaign contributors whose only interest is to make profits. Our leaders in Washington must rebuild our economy by ending the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 2%.”

“A faithful budget values every American, prioritizes the common good, and lifts the burdens of poverty,” said Sara Niccoli, Executive Director, Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State. “In the stark terms of line-item income and expenditures, it describes the commitments that we as a people make to each other as one blessed community. Each fiscal decision carries a human impact and a moral implication. The federal budget has the potential to shape the better society that our faiths call us to seek out. As such, a moral budget would establish a fair system of taxation and distribution, invest in people and communities through education and the creation of good jobs, protect the gifts of nature through environmental stewardship, and nurture the well-being of all through access to health care.”

“The election debate and results showed how the American people value Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid,” said Michael Burgess, Statewide Senior Action Council. “Now, it is up to the President and Congress to respect the will of the people and not undermine or threaten the income and health care security that these programs continue to offer to so many Americans.”

“On Election Day 2012 voters stood up for the American Middle Class and sent a strong message rejecting hatred, intolerance and obstructionism,” said Danny Donohue, president of the nearly 300,000 member CSEA – New York’s leading union. “It is time to end ideological extremism and seek fair, long-term solutions to our nation’s problems that put the needs of people and families first.”

“We must put politics aside and work toward ensuring the ‘fiscal cliff’ doesn’t mean cuts to education, and other programs that help the middle class,” said NYSUT Executive Vice President Andrew Pallotta. “Congress must work in the spirit of collaboration and partnership to avoid sequestration and preserve programs that are so important to New York State.”

“NYSARA members stand opposed to the potential of this “lame-duck” session of Congress reaching a “grand bargain” cutting Social Security benefits, raising the retirement age for Social Security and Medicare and cutting Medicaid, to pay for outrageous tax breaks for the richest 2% of Americans. We encourage everyone to contact their representatives in Washington and ask them to put working families first,” stated Bob Carillo, Executive Director, NYS Alliance for Retired Americans.

Filed Under: Aging, Finance, Health, Housing, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Small Business, Top News Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

SNAP Benefits Replacement Due to Storm

November 5, 2012 3:45 pm Leave a Comment

New York State has received a waiver from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to replace food lost by recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, formerly known as Food Stamps, in areas hardest hit by Hurricane Sandy. Under this grant, which the State requested with the help of the City of New York, current recipients of SNAP will be automatically issued 50 percent of monthly benefits to replace food lost as a result of the storm starting next week. The Governor also announced that SNAP recipients in these areas will be able to purchase hot and prepared foods with their benefits. New York State will be able to issue up to $65 million in replacement benefits.

The City of New York helped identify 77 eligible zip codes which include all of Staten Island for the State’s waiver request. Beginning next week, recipients of SNAP benefits in those 77 zip codes and in Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan and Westchester counties, will automatically have 50 percent of their October monthly SNAP benefit amount deposited in their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account. A complete list of zip codes in New York City that are included can be found at otda.ny.gov/news/SNAP-replacements.pdf. Additional zip codes in New York City that experienced extended power loss may be added as more details about the number of households affected becomes available.

“Hurricane Sandy left many residents in downstate regions of New York State without the most basic of necessities, such as shelter and food,” Governor Andrew Cuomo said. “These partial replacement SNAP benefits will help families replace food lost from the storm and restock their kitchens. I thank Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Undersecretary Kevin Concannon for their support and quick action on approving our requests for assistance.”

Other current SNAP recipient households that have lost food purchased with SNAP benefits due to Hurricane Sandy are also entitled to replacement benefits. The loss must be reported by Wednesday, November 28, 2012, and the household must return a signed and completed form, found at otda.ny.gov/programs/applications/2291.pdf, by close of business on Monday, December 10, 2012. The form is also available at local department of social services offices. To find your local department of social services, visit otda.ny.gov/workingfamilies/dss.asp, or call 1-800-342-3009.

SNAP recipients in New York City and Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan and Westchester counties will be able to use their benefits to purchase hot foods and prepared foods, in recognition of the fact that so many New Yorkers lost power or have been relocated as a result of the storm and are unable to store food or have access to cooking facilities. Normally, federal regulations do not allow the purchase of these items with SNAP benefits. The food must be purchased at authorized retailers, like grocery stores, that already accept EBT. The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a request for a waiver from New York State for this requirement that is effective immediately and expires November 30, 2012.

Households that do not currently receive SNAP assistance can check their eligibility quickly and easily, and apply online, by visiting myBenefits.ny.gov. New Yorkers can also use New York City’s ACCESS NYC, an online service for New York City residents to apply for SNAP and other City, State and Federal benefit programs.

Filed Under: Food, Health, Homelessness, Nonprofit Headline News, Top News Tagged With: , , ,

City Launches First “Aging Improvement District” In The Bronx To Help Improve Daily Lives Of Seniors

October 9, 2012 5:38 pm Leave a Comment

Senior citizens check out information about Aging Improvement District in Pelham Parkway Houses.

Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn and Council Member James Vacca were joined by community advocates, City officials and local seniors to announce the creation of the first Aging Improvement District in the Bronx and only the fourth such district citywide. The announcement was made at the Sue Ginsberg Senior Center and launches efforts to make “age-friendly” enhancements to the 13th Council District, which includes the neighborhoods of Pelham Parkway, Pelham Bay, Country Club, City Island, Throggs Neck, Allerton, and Morris Park.

The Aging Improvement District signifies a coordinated, proactive attempt to address seniors’ and aging issues in a planned and comprehensive fashion.  In early 2012, Vacca convened a task force to address these critical issues. The group has identified six priority areas he is committed to enhancing through the Aging Improvement District: (1) Transportation; (2) Housing; (3) Social Services & Health; (4) Community Involvement & Volunteerism; (5) Education & Technology; and (6) Business Services.

“Today we are here to make sure that the services in the district meet their needs and to ensure that seniors are able to remain as active and engaged in the community as ever,” said Vacca.  “We are sending a message that seniors are pillars of our community, and that we have a responsibility to make sure our communities give back by working together to create healthy, vibrant places to age.”

“Aging Improvement Districts are a model of bottom-up community action representing the best of government,” said Speaker Christine Quinn. “By prioritizing and improving transportation, housing, social services, community involvement, volunteerism and health services in these communities, we can enhance the quality of life for seniors. I am excited for this new opportunity here in the Bronx and I hope to see this model replicated across the city as we make neighborhoods more accessible and livable for older New Yorkers.”

“I would like to commend Council Member Vacca and Speaker Quinn for taking the time to consult with seniors to get their ideas on a new Aging Improvement District,” said DFTA Commissioner Lilliam Barrios-Paoli. “Their input, and the collaboration of businesses, nonprofits, public officials, as well as cultural, educational and religious institutions, is critical in order to make improvements to their quality of life.”

“We are thrilled that Councilmember Vacca is partnering with leaders from such diverse sectors of his community to create the first aging improvement district in the Bronx,” said Dr. Jo Ivey Boufford, President of The New York Academy of Medicine, which leads the Age-friendly New York City initiative together with the Office of the Mayor and The New York City Council. “Aging Improvement Districts in Manhattan and Brooklyn have produced great victories for the older adults who live in them including: senior-only hours at public pools, benches placed where older adults want them and new offerings at local stores, libraries, museums and theaters. We hope this newest district leads to equally creative solutions and inspires other neighborhoods to launch their own age-friendly initiatives.”

Filed Under: Aging, Health, Housing, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Small Business, Top News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month

October 2, 2012 9:37 pm Leave a Comment

October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. Show your support for the African American Planning Commission and our efforts to combat domestic violence. Make a donation in any amount and show your support for survivors of domestic violence and their abused children. Thank you for your generosity!

View selected DV video stories here.

Click here to learn more about Domestic Violence and its warning signs.

Filed Under: Children, Crime & Punishment, Domestic Violence, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Heavy price of domestic abuse: Victims not only beaten but often left in debt by their tormenters

October 2, 2012 8:07 pm Leave a Comment

Guadalupe Perez says her abusive husband withdrew money from her kids' account without telling her. A new report found many domestic violence survivors also are saddled with financial woes by abusive partners.

They’re berated, beaten — and left to pay the bills.

A new study has found that many of the city’s domestic violence victims are saddled with debt by their abusers, reports the New York Daily News.

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, discussing his new report on domestic abuse, said, “Victims of economic violence are buried in mountains of debt they didn’t create,”

Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s report, to be released Tuesday, exposes a rarely discussed challenge that many survivors face in addition to their emotional and physical scars.

One woman told the Daily News how she’s still dealing with money woes a decade after the end of her marriage.

The 52-year-old, who left Bangladesh for Queens as a young bride, was beaten for years and made a virtual prisoner by her husband, who would unplug the phone and take it with him when he left the house.

When he finally walked out in 2002, her physical nightmare was over. But then she discovered she was drowning in $100,000 worth of debt.

“He forced me to sign this paper, and I signed it,” she said. “He took my signature, and he took out all this money from these banks.”

She started getting calls from collection agencies, was sued by three creditors and lost after a court order was sent to an old address.

She said she felt shunned by friends and family. “People treated me like a street beggar,” she said.

The problem is especially prevalent among immigrants, who may be afraid to go to authorities, advocates say. Stringer’s survey found embarrassment and fear of immigration trouble were the most common reasons for not seeking help.

“Victims of economic violence are buried in mountains of debt they didn’t create,” said Stringer, whose office surveyed 27 service providers serving about 25,000 people.

More than half of the agencies said at least 25% of their clients are left with debt by an abusive partner. Some have had partners steal from them or take their personal documents.

Guadalupe Perez, 43, who left Mexico for the Bronx as a teenager, said her husband would not allow her to keep a bank account in her own name.

And without telling her, he withdrew $2,000 from an account she had set up for her kids’ college savings, she said.

“I didn’t have access to his account. He had access to mine,” she said. “It’s just been so many things that make me cry with rage.”

Tiloma Jayasinghe, executive director of Sakhi for South Asian Women, said her group, which co-authored the report with Stringer’s office, has started doing credit checks for all clients.

“Safety is the number one concern, so we’re in a crisis response. But if we don’t address this issue, then we’re only doing part of our work, not the whole,” she said.”It is more easy for you to be taken advantage of when you don’t know the country or you don’t have a network of support. It’s across immigrant populations.”

Filed Under: Children, Domestic Violence, Finance, Health, Homelessness, Housing, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , , ,

“Guilty Until Proven Innocent”: FPWA Report on PA Sanctions

June 20, 2012 1:11 pm Leave a Comment

New Yorkers facing economic crisis face a “Herculean” task in connecting with and maintaining welfare assistance, according to a new report by the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies (FPWA).  The report finds the poorest New Yorkers are blocked from obtaining the financial assistance they desperately need by a never ending obstacle course of program requirements that are nearly impossible to fulfill and result in the loss of benefits through rampant and arbitrary case sanctions.

The findings are spelled out in detail in FPWA’s report Guilty until Proven Innocent: Sanctions, Agency Error and Financial Punishment within New York State’s Welfare System.

FPWA aruges that the problem of sanctions is pervasive and the process error ridden.  In March 2012, 3 in 10 of those participating in work requirements were sanctioned or in the sanction process.  And, the report continues, the City has a dismal record of defending its actions.  In State administered fair hearings, the agency was found lacking in over 75% of the hearings.

Sanctions drive households deeper into poverty. The current full welfare grant level leaves households living in “deep poverty,” as defined by the United State Census Bureau.  A case sanction means that for a parent with two children the family’s monthly cash income is cut from $753 to $502.  This grant is supposed to cover all basic needs including housing, utilities, transportation, laundry, personal hygiene products, clothing, school supplies for children, incidentals, and food needs not met by food stamps.

“The agency has set up a grueling, never ending obstacle course of requirements for getting and retaining welfare assistance.  This directly jeopardizes the health and safety of the poorest, most vulnerable New Yorkers,” said Fatima Goldman, Executive Director/CEO of the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies.   “The agency’s general mode of operation is unforgiving and they often fail in their duty to assess if there is a good reason the requirement couldn’t be met before the punishment is imposed.”  “Sanctions come at a great cost to struggling households, and city and state budgets alike, since sanctions lead to need for emergency shelters when housing is lost, domestic violence survivors are stuck in shelter or are forced to return to their abusers due to lack of resources, and parents come under the scrutiny of the child welfare agency because they lack essential income to meet their children’s need,” according to Liz Accles, Senior Policy Analyst at the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies.

Click here to download a copy of the full report.

Filed Under: Finance, Food, Health, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News

City, State Announce Major Supportive Housing Expansion

June 7, 2012 3:51 pm Leave a Comment

New York City and New York State have announced a major collaboration to increase the creation and availability of supportive housing for homeless and high needs individuals and families. The announcement came at this morning’s opening of the Supportive Housing Network of New York’s 12th Annual Statewide Conference being held at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

New York City has set a goal of doubling its supportive housing production from 500 units annually to 1,000 units annually, said Mathew Wambua, Commissioner of NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). The increase will come through a collaborative use of resources being made available from a number of City and State agencies.

As part of its Medicaid Redesign initiative, the State will be making $75 million in Medicaid funding available to create supportive housing available for high needs and high costs Medicaid recipients where there is a believe that the provision of stable housing will allow significant improvements in health and consequent reductions in Medicaid spending. An initial $25 million of this allocation is being made available for capital funding for State NYNY III supportive housing projects.

For the first time, the NYS Department of Homes and Community Renewal will be making capital funding available to supportive housing in addition to bond financing and 4% tax credits, said Commissioner Darryl Towns.

The New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has committed to provide 200 Section 8 vouchers available annually for the creation of new supportive housing unit – the first ever commitment of its kind. The vouchers will support homeless families and individuals referred by the Department of Homeless Services and NYCHA residents who require supportive services. In addition, NYCHA is planning to collaborate with HPD on RFPs for development of supportive housing on underutilized NYCHA land, explained NYCHA Chairman John Rea.

“This is truly historic at a time like this for the state and city to commit new resources and redeploy existing resources to house the most vulnerable among us,” said William Taylor, Chair of the Supportive Housing Network Board of Directors.

“Moments like these are the culmination of a lot effort,” said Ted Houghton, SHNNY Executive Director. “This comes down to leadership by these individuals who have tremendous vision and who have pursued it against all barriers.”

More information on these initiatives, including the announcement of anticipated Requests for Proposals by several State and City agencies, will be made available when they are announced.

Filed Under: Finance, Health, HIV/AIDS, Housing, Nonprofit Headline News, Politics, Top News Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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