The Network's Executive Director, Laura Mascuch said, "This is an extraordinary moment for the supportive housing community. We are deeply grateful to the Governor and our State partners for this incredible commitment. Thanks to Governor Cuomo's pledge we have a real chance to actually end homelessness among the most vulnerable New Yorkers over the next fifteen years."

Network Chair Bill Traylor, of Richman Housing Resources, summed it up when he said, "Simply extraordinary! With the Governor's commitment yesterday of 20,000 units and the Mayor's November commitment of 15,000 units we finally have the ability to meet the housing needs of our vulnerable citizens who are homeless all around the state. This is truly a momentous and historic moment."

This long-term supportive housing program is part of the state's $20 billion five year affordable housing and homelessness plan unveiled yesterday at the Governor's State of the State address. The five year program will invest $9.7 billion to establish 94,000 units of affordable housing, $2.6 billion for 6,000 new units of supportive housing and will also establish 1,000 new emergency shelter beds. Over 15 years, the plan will result in 20,000 new supportive housing units and an additional 1,000 shelters beds. The budget is committing $640 million in settlement funds towards the 5 year plan.

   

 

On January 12, Mayor Bill de Blasio visited Catholic Charities' Bishop Joseph M. Sullivan Residence to announce the formation of a Supportive Housing Task Force to help the city implement its plan to create 15,000 units of supportive housing over the next fifteen years. The Mayor was joined by HRA Commissioner Steve Banks, HPD Commissioner Vicki Been and many of the new task force members. The announcement is a momentous step forward in the preservation and development of supportive housing across New York.

President Obama signed a FY16 budget bill on December 16 that avoids catastrophic cuts to HUD that were initially proposed in Congress earlier in the year.  Programs that  directly fund supportive housing, as well as key affordable programs were actually increased over FY15.  This came as the result of an extensive advocacy battle that resulted in lifting another round of sequestration cuts.

 

In FY16, McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants are increased by 5% ($115 million) to $2.250 billion, ensuring that all current and new Continuum of Care programs can be renewed.  McKinney funds over $190 million in New York State programs annually, and this level of appropriation will likely ensure that we reach over $200 million in the next McKinney competition.

 

The HOME program received a small increase of $50 million to $950 million. After eight years of cuts and threatened extinction, this is a huge victory, as HOME is a vital source of capital funding to supportive housing projects. Prior to this year HOME had faced a long series of annual cuts since 2008 eroding over 50% of the program funds. Currently, New York State receives $87 million in HOME.

 

Even better, the spending bill will not raid any funds from the National Housing Trust Fund, which is set to deliver its first funds to states in 2016 predominantly for the production, preservation, and operation of affordable rental housing for extremely low income households. Earlier in the year, the House  proposed appropriating the Trust Fund monies to offset HOME cuts. The Senate Committee bill did not raid the NHTF program.  New York State is expected to receive $19 million this year as the first installment of the NHTF.

 

In addition, the FY16 bill funds Housing Choice Vouchers at $19.629 billion, including $65 million for Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing vouchers.

For the renewal of Project-Based Rental Assistance contracts, the bill provides $10.620 billion. This significant renewal cost increase is due to a shift implemented in FY15 to calendar-year funding for the contract renewals, resulting in FY15 savings. This also means appropriators had to increase funding for FY16, a big ask in a year of tightly constrained resources. The FY15 appropriation for PBRA renewals was $9.730 billion.

President Obama's budget bill increases HOPWA funding slightly from $330 million to $335 million.

Finally, the Section 811 Housing for Persons with Disabilities program is now funded at $151 million, an increase from FY15's $135 million last year.  New York State has not received new 811 funding in the past several years.

With these budgetary successes for supportive housing preservation and development, the Network looks forward to seeing continued growth in programs reflected in the FY17 Executive Budget, due out in early February. At a time of political and fiscal austerity, the FY16 Omnibus Budget announcement brings hope.

   

For the past month, prior to the Governor's announcement Wednesday committing to the creation of 20,000 units of supportive housing statewide,   national and local media echoed the call for a commitment to creating 35,000 units of supportive housing statewide. 

Editorials included:

" If New York Really Wants to Help the Homeless" New York Times, January 6, 2016

" Andrew Cuomo homeless edict isn't a long-term answer" Newsday, January 5, 2016

Coverage of the Governor's recent Executive Order included:

" Cuomo's Cuts Have Exacerbated Homelessness, Says Local Advocate; Supportive Housing Needed" West Side Rag, January 6, 2016

" Cuomo Misses Point, Homeless on Streets Say" New York Times, January 4, 2016

The Thunderclap, which took place at 1 pm on January 7, 2016, surpassed its original goal by nearly 400% and reached 388,694 people.  Giselle Routhier of Coalition for the Homeless, Marc Greenberg of the Interfaith Alliance and Carla Rabinowitz of Community Access did a fabulous job leading the outreach.

As of today, well over a million impressions were made by the campaign.