Welcome to the May 2016 issue of
Network News
, the Supportive Housing Network of New York's monthly e-newsletter. You'll find lead articles on our upcoming annual supportive housing conference, the new state Supportive Housing Opportunity Program (SHOP) RFP, an update on HUD's CoC awards, Senators Schumer and Cantwell urging Congress to expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, and more. Thanks for reading!
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16th Annual Supportive Housing Conference Coming to NYC on June 2nd
Register now!
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The 2015 Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference
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Please join us for the 16th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference on June 2nd at the Marriott Marquis. As the largest supportive housing conference in the nation, we come together to discuss the policy issues that concern our community as a whole, as well as the daily challenges that many of our providers face.
This year's conference promises to be our best ever as we collectively celebrate the Governor and Mayor's commitments to create 35,000 new units of supportive housing in New York over the next fifteen years.
Our morning presentation will feature stories from our community framing our collective history including those of three supportive housing tenants and a lookback from CUCS' Tony Hannigan.
In the morning session we will have an all-star panel on homelessness and housing with NYC DSS Commissioner Steve Banks, NYC HPD Commissioner Vicki Been, NYS HCR Commissioner Jamie Rubin and NYS OMH Commissioner Ann Sullivan. Also in the morning, NYC HDC President Gary Rodney will be part of panel on new and innovative financing models, and Bob Myers and Gary Belkin of OMH and DOHMH will tell you everything you wanted to know about how HCBS, DSRIP and ThriveNYC can help supportive housing tenants.
In honor of the Mayor's and Governor's historic commitments, there will be panels on how each body is looking to implement their plans as well as a workshop on how to approach a Joint Venture, how to work with bonds and 4% credits, how to create community incentives in housing, and what ZQA has meant for supportive housing. There will also be a panel with DOHMH and HRA looking at what was learned from NY/NY III: what worked, what didn't and for whom?
You can learn about how providers are innovating with the scattered-site model; promising practices for serving families -- especially young ones; a new model for serving tenants as they age in place; and body-centered techniques for helping tenants and staff connect and de-stress. Back by popular demand: StoryCorps will model storytelling techniques for tenants; Lee Shuer and CUCS will talk about how to bring the Buried in Treasure training to limit hoarding into supportive housing, and Jonathan Rose will moderate the workshop on meditation techniques for tenants and staff.
We've moved the cocktail hour to the far-more-spacious Broadway Lounge on the eighth floor (and added bars!). And, for the first time will offer guests coffee and tea between the second and third sets of panels (thank you Alembic Community Development!).
Come, enjoy, learn, network, see old friends, meet new ones!
The full workshop schedule is available
here
.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Date: Thursday, June 2, 2016
Time: 8:00 am-6:30 pm
Where: New York Marriott Marquis
Address: 1535 Broadway, New York, NY
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NYS HCR Announces Supportive Housing Opportunity Program (SHOP)
Will be part of $117.2 million RFP.
NYS Homes & Community Renewal (HCR) announced last month that a new Supportive Housing Opportunity Program will be a prominent part of its $117.2 million
Multifamily Open Window Request for Proposals (RFP). The Network expects that this funding stream combined with 4% Low Income Housing Tax Credits will become a major vehicle for funding the governor's 20,000 unit supportive housing plan, including the 6,000 units slated for the first five years. While this initial installment will likely provide funding for projects already in the pipeline, additional funding should come as a result of a memorandum of understanding between the governor and legislative leaders slated to be done by the end of the legislative session on June 16
th.
SHOP provides financing assistance for site acquisition, hard costs and related soft costs associated with the new construction of or the adaptive reuse of a non-residential property to affordable supportive housing with on site services. In NYC, Westchester County and Long Island there is up to $200,000 per supportive housing unit; ROS - $150,000 per supportive housing unit. Priorities include economic development projects, integrated supportive housing projects, community renewal and revitalization projects, housing opportunity projects, workforce opportunity projects and disaster relief projects and projects that contain more than 50% supportive housing units. At least 50% of the units in the projects must be affordable to households earning no more than 60% AMI.
A services and operating award and/or services plan acceptable to HCR is required. Total supportive housing units should not exceed 60% of the total units in the project. Developments must provide an integrated housing environment for the proposed residents.
The target populations are families, individuals and/or young adults who are both homeless and who are identified as having an unmet housing need as determined by the CoC or local planning entity or through other supplemental local, state, and federal data, and have one or more disabling conditions or other life challenges including:
- Serious Mental Illness
- Substance Use Disorder
- Individuals diagnosed with HIV
- Victims/Survivors of domestic violence
- Military service with disabilities (including veterans with other than honorable discharge)
- Chronic homelessness (including families, and individuals experiencing street homelessness or long-term shelter stays)
- Youth/young adults who left foster care within the prior five years and who were in foster care at or over age 16
- Homeless young adults between 18 and 25 years old
- Adults, youth or young adults re-entering the community from incarceration or juvenile justice placement, particularly those with disabling conditions
- Frail or disabled Seniors
- Individuals who are MRT high cost Medicaid populations
Definition of Homeless for the purposes of this RFP, an individual must meet one of the following criteria:
- An un-domiciled person (whether alone or as a member of a family) who is unable to secure permanent and stable housing without special assistance. This includes those who are inappropriately housed in an institutional facility and can safely live in the community and those who are at risk of homelessness
- A youth or young adult who left foster care within the prior five years and who was in foster care at or over age 16, and who is without permanent and stable housing
- An adult or young adult reentering the community from incarceration or juvenile justice placement, who was released or discharged and who is without permanent and stable housing, or
- A young adult between the ages of 18 and 25 years of age without a permanent residence.
Eligible Applicants are not-for-profit corporations or charitable organizations, or a wholly owned subsidiary of such corporations or organizations, or private for-profit developers.
The affordable units in a supportive housing project, will be funded by a companion program, also part of the open window RFP:
New Construction Capital Program (NCP) - HCR will provide financing to stimulate the new construction of rental housing affordable to households that earn up to 60% of AMI and that may advance one or more of the specific housing priorities of NYS. These priorities include the redevelopment of State-owned and municipally-owned sites, and developments that meet critical needs in their communities, such as integrated supportive housing, family housing in high performing school districts, community redevelopment and revitalization and developments specifically supported by the Regional Economic Development Councils. NCP will provide financing assistance for site acquisition, hard costs and related soft costs. NYC - Up to $140,000 per housing unit up to 60% AMI; Westchester County & Long Island - Up to $100,000 per housing unit up to 60% AMI; ROS - up to $75,000 per housing unit up to 60% AMI. In NYC , a priority will be for projects that provide integrated supportive housing in conjunction with affordable units. Eligible applicants are not-for-profit corporations or charitable organizations, or a wholly owned subsidiary of such corporations or organizations or private for-profit developers.
For specific questions related to the Supportive Housing Opportunity Program, contact:
or via phone at 212-872-0481.
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HUD Continuum of Care Awards Update
$355 million in awards nationally.
 HUD announced the remainder of its Continuum of Care (CoC) awards, Tier 2, totaling $355 million nationally. New York State received over $42 million in awards, 12% of the total. In all, 85 programs across the state were funded in this Tier 2 round, of which 22 are new programs.
The new programs are either newly-funded bonus projects or reallocated from existing CoC resources. New projects include permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless people, rapid rehousing, CoC planning and coordinated entry programs.
When combined with the previously announced Tier 1 renewals, New York City experienced a total increase of 16% in funding over last year's awards, totaling $122 million for FY 15. That success alone spurred a 9% growth rate for the entire state from $192 million to $209 million from the FY 14 totals. Funding for the rest of New York State remained flat at last year's levels
with some CoCs seeing increases and others experiencing decreases in funding.
To fund the new bonus programs, $12.9 million was cut from CoC programs in Tier 2; leading to the elimination of 56 programs. Of those, 21 programs were permanent supportive housing with hundreds of units, totaling $3.4 million in cuts.
We will continue to gather information on CoC scores and to work with Continuua across the state to better understand the results.
The Network's conference on June 2
nd will include a workshop on this competition and the future of CoC work, featuring national and statewide experts, including HUD's Director of Special Need
s,
Norm Suchar.
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Senators Schumer and Cantwell Urge Congress to Expand Low-Income Housing Tax Credit
Calling for a 50% expansion in LIHTC.
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| Senator Maria Cantwell, the Network's Laura Mascuch, and Senator Charles Schumer at The Door. |
On April 22nd,
Senators Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) and
Maria Cantwell (D-WA) gathered together with the supportive housing community, government officials and advocates to urge Congress to expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) using The Door's and Phipps Houses' East 9th Street residence as a backdrop.
Cantwell and Schumer are calling for a 50% expansion of the LIHTC, and reforms that target the lowest income populations. The LIHTC has financed nearly three million homes across the United States, since its creation three decades ago, including over 122,000 units in New York City alone. The proposal would finance approximately 400,000 additional units of affordable housing nationwide over the next decade, including an additional 14,000 in New York state.
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Network
Jobs Board
Check out these job openings and many others on our Jobs Board. Network members can post their employment opportunities for free!
Social Work Supervisor
for Henry Street Settlement
Shift Supervisor for Henry Street Settlement
Program Director - DHS Standalone Transitional Congregate Housing for Comunilife
Program Director - HRA Brooklyn SS Program for Comunilife
Program Director - OMH Bronx for Comunilife
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Upcoming Events
The 16th Annual Supportive Housing Conference
Save the Date: June 2, 2016
Working with Transition-Age Youth
Date: June 8, 2016
Time: 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: CUCS
Address: 198 East 121st, New York, NY 10035
Register here.
Working with young adults can be challenging as well as exciting and rewarding. This training focuses on helping staff better understand young adults and their specific needs as they transition from the children's system into the adult system. The training places special emphasis on wellness and moving forward through employment and life goals. The training explores the impact of loss and trauma often associated with many young adults in supportive housing. Strategies for engaging and motivating young adults and helping them develop support systems are discussed. This training also provides an introduction to Motivational Interviewing techniques designed to help youth move towards recovery. Attendees will leave the training with an understanding of how to work with persons during this time, and a greater appreciation of this population's needs.
Wellness and Aging in Supportive Housing
Date: June 21, 2016
Time: 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: CUCS
Address: 198 East 121st, New York, NY 10035
Register here.
Demographic shifts in the United States are impacted significantly by aging Baby Boomers and prolonged life expectancy. Studies show that the proportion of older persons will increase dramatically over the next couple of decades. Services and programming must be able to adapt to this new need to help adults age-in-place, promote health and absorb the increase of homeless older individuals. This training explores the specific needs and challenges of working with persons as they age and offers skills and strategies to assist persons to maximize independence and continue to work towards full and healthy living. At the end of this training, participants will have a better understanding of this cohort and be prepared to identify how supportive housing can offer specialized services and modifications to allow healthy aging in place.
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Comings and Goings
Richard Cho, Deputy Director of USICH since 2013 became Director of the Behavioral Health Division of The Council of State Governments Justice Center on May 2nd. Mr. Cho will lead all initiatives related to the Justice Center's behavioral health work, which is designed to improve public safety outcomes, reduce the over-representation of people with mental illnesses and substance use disorders in the criminal justice system, and promote recovery for this population.Prior to USICH, Mr. Cho spent 12 years with CSH, most recently as their Director of Innovations.
Brett Hebner, after a dozen years as Assistant Director, Bureau of Housing and Support Services at OTDA, moves to NYS OMH as Director of the Bureau of Housing Development and Support, on June 2nd. Earlier in his career, Mr. Hebner served three years as County Planner for Saratoga County and three years as a Housing Specialist at OTDA.
While we lament his loss to OTDA, we look forward to working with him at OMH.
Doug Stark, Chief Operating Officer, Volunteers of America, is leaving May 20 to take a position with the University of Rochester
Medical Center.
Catherine Trapani was named Executive Director of Homeless Services United (HSU), effective June 20th. For the past nine years, Ms. Trapani served as Director of the HousingLink Program at New Destiny Housing where she was engaged in developing programs, offering training and technical assistance, and helping to lead the agency's research and public advocacy efforts. Ms. Trapani succeeds Christy Parque who now leads the Coalition of Behavioral Health Agencies.
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