|
Care for the Homeless | 30 E. 33rd St. | Fifth Floor | New York | NY | 10016 |
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Friday, May 30, 2014
Fwd: RSVP to the Summer Solstice Celebration on June 21st!
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Thursday, May 29, 2014
Facility Manager, Kenmore Hall
Now we know what the "head superintendent" is supposed to be doing... and why did it take so long to get around to posting the job? It's been vacant for months!
Facility Manager, Kenmore Hall
Job posted by: Housing and Services, Inc.
Posted on: May 27, 2014
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Invitation: Met Council on Housing @ Weekly from 1:30pm to 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday (Kenmore Hall Tenants Association)
Met Council on HousingCall their Tenants' Rights Hotline at 212-979-0611 with questions
Going? | ||||||||||||
Invitation from Google Calendar You are receiving this courtesy email at the account emilyholiday.khta@blogger.com because you are an attendee of this event. To stop receiving future notifications for this event, decline this event. Alternatively you can sign up for a Google account at https://www.google.com/calendar/ and control your notification settings for your entire calendar. |
Thursday, May 22, 2014
I realize that this may seem off topic because most of the blog deals with tenants' rights and related issues, but many of our tenants are veterans. The following article may have an impact on their benefits - but there's still a few months in which petitions can be signed and sent to the Mayor and City Council; letters can be written, and phone calls made.
This article appeared in Gotham Gazette online.
This article appeared in Gotham Gazette online.
Veterans Benefits Counselors at Risk in Budget
(nycmarines via flickr)
In mid-2013 the Robin Hood Foundation gave the City a $250,000 grant through the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York. The money would pay for the salaries and training of three veterans benefits counselors for one year. The counselors, formally called Service Officers, act as a resource point for veterans asking about and pursuing their benefits from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The counselors assist veterans in preparing paperwork and guide them through the life of a claim.
The grant is slated to expire by September of this year. Its terms stipulate that if the program is successful, the City could pick up the tab for the three positions moving forward. Despite the success of the program, funding for the benefits counselors was not included in the mayor's preliminary budget, leaving veterans advocates to wonder how the counselors will be funded.
"We are making a positive impact," said Mayor's Office of Veterans Affairs (MOVA) Commissioner Terrance Holliday by phone May 1. "I want to see this thing continue in some form, but I have to have that discussion with City Hall."
Gotham Gazette spoke with the Robin Hood Foundation, which confirmed it will not fund the program past the life of the grant. If the positions are not funded when the mayor's executive budget is released on Thursday, the positions will be on track for termination by September unless funding comes from elsewhere. Emails to the mayor's office were not returned.
For its part, the City Council did include a request for $400,000 in additional funding for MOVA in its response to the mayor's preliminary budget.
The veterans claims counselors at MOVA have become a useful resource for helping the city's veterans navigate a federal VA dealing with an excess backlog of claims. In recent years, the number of claims, as well as the length of time claims sit open, has grown exponentially. This has been fueled by the increase of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as rules allowing more Agent Orange-related, Vietnam era claims to be filed.
In May of 2013 there were 880,000 open VA claims nationwide, 68 percent of which had wait times over 125 days, according to data on the VA website. The average wait to close a claim was 272 days.
MOVA benefits counselors do not process the claims directly, but receive training from the State VA office to learn the system. The idea behind creating the counselors' positions is that if the paperwork is submitted correctly and to the right department the first time, the process would be expedited, the total number of claims reduced, and veterans would receive benefits more quickly.
The VA has implemented a variety of new processes and procedures to expedite VA claims, with benefits counselors playing one role, and combined efforts have worked to bring claims numbers down nationwide. In the May 5, 2014 report from the VA, there were 590,000 claims pending of which 308,000, or 52%, were over 125 days old.
Since they do not resolve claims, there is no data to show what kind of direct impact the three benefits counselors funded by the Robin Hood Foundation are having on claims numbers. Holliday said since they completed their training and began work on October 1, 2013, they have seen over 300 veterans, exceeding the goal set forth in the grant by 100.
Holliday said he would not credit any drop in claims numbers solely to the benefits counselors, but said they are another important access point for veterans to get their claims resolved.
Joseph Bello, a U.S. Navy veteran and a veterans advocate who runs NY Metro Vets, said the idea of utilizing the counselors in lieu of veterans working on the claims themselves has picked up in the veterans community.
"As we have gone along and more people are starting to find out about the program, they want to get to these counselors because they are doing a good job," Bello said by phone May 2.
Bello said if the City does not pick up funding for the three benefits counselors, veterans would be able to find new counselors through private organizations or the State, but that a switch could easily delay the claim because the new counselor would have to pick up in the middle of the process. Bello added that there are also significant issues of trust because these counselors are dealing with extremely personal issues - issues like physical disability, emotional and psychological trauma, and residency and job security.
"Like any relationship, you want to feel comfortable with that individual when meeting with them," Bello said of the veteran-counselor relationship. "There has to be some sort of trust because this individual is handling your disability claim with the VA."
Bello said he hopes to see the funding picked up by the City.
"If veterans agree this has been a successful program, then I don't understand why we would discontinue this program," Bello said. "There has to be a way the administration can re-fund it and keep the program going."
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
High Hopes... and Lowered Expectations
Granted, this piece is about 14 years old, but it's interesting to read how H.S.I. presents itself to funders, and compare it to the reality of actually living in Kenmore Hall over a decade later. Comments, anyone? What has your experience here been like?
Housing & Services, Inc.
New York, NY
Project name
Kenmore Hall
Once known as the epicenter of crime in the Manhattan neighborhood of Gramercy Park, Kenmore Hall was riddled with drug dealing, loan sharking, robberies, and assaults. Neighborhood residents wouldn't walk past the building to shop in local businesses, and the local police precinct reported at least one emergency call per day from the facility. With a deep commitment to providing decent affordable housing and services for formerly homeless individuals, including those with mental illness and AIDS, Housing & Services, Inc. (HSI) accepted the daunting challenge of Kenmore's rehabilitation. Working closely with the police department and service agencies, HSI built community support, rid the building of criminal activity, brought improved circumstances to hold-over tenants, gave welcome shelter to new tenants, and provided all 326 residents with the services they need for a more stable, productive future. The project was recognized with a HUD 1999 Best Practices Award.
Project Profile
Special Features
Project Financing
Organization Information
Project Profile
Special Features
AFFORDABILITY: Homelessness is the most visible and serious manifestation of New York City's severe affordable-housing shortage, and many other households are on the verge of becoming homeless. In a city infamous for its high rental costs, roughly 19 percent of the residents have household incomes below the poverty level. Issues such as illness, disability, substance abuse, prior institutionalization, former homelessness, and age often compound housing difficulties. Hospitals, correctional institutions, and psychiatric facilities generally provide no assistance for those who are discharged. The Kenmore Hall project was funded through private and public partnerships to address these issues. Because it was intended for low- and very low-income individuals, it was structured with minimal debt. For construction and permanent financing, the development team applied for deferred public funds targeted for special populations, i.e. homeless persons and those with AIDS. The project received loans of $4 million from the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Single Room Occupancy (SRO) program, $1 million from a NYC Department of Housing Preservation (HPD)-Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS loan, and $4 million from the state's Homeless Housing Assistance Corporation. A HUD capital grant for $400,000 was part of a Supportive Housing Grant of $2.2 million. Bell Atlantic Credit Corporation provided equity of $13.8 million for construction financing. A Chase CDC construction/permanent loan for $1.6 million is the project's only commercial debt. A portion of the developer's fee was deposited in the Sponsor Reserve Account. A contract with the city's Department of Homeless Services mandates that 60 percent of new residents be referrals from homeless shelters. Kenmore Hall has a set-aside of 300 for HUD Section 8 vouchers, and 15 units are reserved for persons with AIDS. Residents have an average household income of $7,282 and pay an average monthly rent of $158.
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: During the three-year rehabilitation effort, HSI assembled financing, selected the development team, and oversaw construction. Kenmore Hall is located strategically in the high-density Manhattan neighborhood of Gramercy Park. The area is relatively affluent, but the building had been a magnet for crime. Ridding the premises of this criminal element required considerable effort. HSI worked closely with the NYC Police Department (NYPD), which committed to daily on-site police presence. Private, round-the-clock, armed security services, however, were also required. After a year, criminal activities had been cleared out, and remaining tenants were surveyed. Delays arose when ten hold-over tenants refused to move to temporary units. Seven filed legal actions that went through Federal Court appeals, and they were evicted—but the dispute cost HSI more than $600,000. Fortunately, the construction contractor did not charge for the 11-month construction delay, and the development budget contained a line item of $3,198,123 that covered the costs of additional security and legal services. The property was considered well worth salvaging because it is ideally situated in close proximity to shopping, employment opportunities, and medical and social services. Public transportation is easily accessible, with a subway station less than a block away and bus stops directly in front of the building.
DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION: Construction was planned in three phases to accommodate the internal, temporary relocation of the 250 existing tenants as newly rehabilitated units became available. Kenmore's common areas are accessible and were designed for maximum use by tenants to encourage a sense of community. The spacious lobby has a front desk with 24-hour coverage and seating for visitors and residents. The second floor holds resident-services offices and a large community room with kitchenette, exercise room, and library. Lounges and laundry rooms are located on alternating floors. A state-of-the-art security system is monitored 24 hours a day by trained staff. Modern, energy-efficient lighting was installed; exterior lights are on timers; and some lighting is motion-activated. The roof, windows, walls, boilers, and piping are well insulated. Natural gas heat, low-flow showerheads, low-water flush toilets, an energy-efficient boiler system, and automatic entrance doors save energy and resources.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: In 1994, at the outset of its involvement with the project, HSI assembled a community advisory board comprised of civic leaders, elected officials, and service providers. The board helped build support for the project and has continued to be involved in the Kenmore. The project contractor hired tradespersons that represented the diversity of the city's population and the neighborhood. Local merchants continue to provide building furnishings as well as office and cleaning supplies. Donated goods, such as furniture for residents' rooms, were obtained through the HSI network.
SOCIAL SERVICES: Residents have access to an on-site, full-time social service staff consisting of four caseworkers and two substance-abuse counselors. Regular social services, health, and educational activities are offered, such as employment skills workshops and self-help meetings. Regular group meals are served in the community room. Bellevue Hospital provides on-site mental-health services, and Visiting Nurse Services has on-site offices through which residents can obtain free health assessments, information, and referrals.
EMPOWERMENT: During development, HSI held tenant meetings to get input on design and to provide updates on construction and available social services. As rent-up neared completion, a residents' council was being formed; a group of tenants had already organized a tenant association. Tenants have volunteered to be library coordinators, financial management teachers, and contributors to the Kenmore Quarterly, a resident newsletter.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT: Since its rehabilitation, Kenmore Hall has garnered praise from tenants, service agencies, law-enforcement officers, and neighborhood residents and businesses—everyone, in fact, except the criminals who once camped there. In conjunction with the 23rd Street Business Association and the SOHO Partnership, HSI/Kenmore Hall initiated an employment program for homeless and formerly homeless men and women through which they clean streets part time while learning life skills and participating in job-readiness training. After six months of work and education, graduates of the program begin full-time jobs in the community.
Project Financing
Organization Information
HSI develops affordable housing for individuals and famolies, manages housing, and advocates for public policies that will strengthen and preserve affordable, permanent housing. With a staff of 12, HSI is currently seeking to refinance older, supportive housing projects for low-income elders. It is pursuing several partnership initiatives: with the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center to create 90 units of affordable housing for senior citizens; with the Edwin Gould Foundation to create 50 affordable units for young adults leaving foster care, and program space for youth service providers Bronx to create 40 independant-living units for persons with AIDS and mental illness. The organization's Miami affiliate, Housing & Services of South Florida, works with the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust toward similar objectives.
For more information on the Maxwell Awards, read Ten Years of Maxwell Awards.
 | |
Housing & Services, Inc.
New York, NY
Project name
Kenmore Hall
Once known as the epicenter of crime in the Manhattan neighborhood of Gramercy Park, Kenmore Hall was riddled with drug dealing, loan sharking, robberies, and assaults. Neighborhood residents wouldn't walk past the building to shop in local businesses, and the local police precinct reported at least one emergency call per day from the facility. With a deep commitment to providing decent affordable housing and services for formerly homeless individuals, including those with mental illness and AIDS, Housing & Services, Inc. (HSI) accepted the daunting challenge of Kenmore's rehabilitation. Working closely with the police department and service agencies, HSI built community support, rid the building of criminal activity, brought improved circumstances to hold-over tenants, gave welcome shelter to new tenants, and provided all 326 residents with the services they need for a more stable, productive future. The project was recognized with a HUD 1999 Best Practices Award.
Project Profile
Special Features
Project Financing
Organization Information
Project Profile
- Type: Special needs, rental with syndication, multiunit building, mixed-use building, interior and exterior rehabilitation
- Population base served: Urban
- Number of units: 326 efficiency units (plus one two-bedroom for superintendent)
- Clientele: Senior citizens, single adults, physically disabled individuals, developmentally-impaired individuals, homeless persons, severely or persistently mentally-ill individuals, persons with HIV/AIDS, New Americans, minorities
Special Features
AFFORDABILITY: Homelessness is the most visible and serious manifestation of New York City's severe affordable-housing shortage, and many other households are on the verge of becoming homeless. In a city infamous for its high rental costs, roughly 19 percent of the residents have household incomes below the poverty level. Issues such as illness, disability, substance abuse, prior institutionalization, former homelessness, and age often compound housing difficulties. Hospitals, correctional institutions, and psychiatric facilities generally provide no assistance for those who are discharged. The Kenmore Hall project was funded through private and public partnerships to address these issues. Because it was intended for low- and very low-income individuals, it was structured with minimal debt. For construction and permanent financing, the development team applied for deferred public funds targeted for special populations, i.e. homeless persons and those with AIDS. The project received loans of $4 million from the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development's Single Room Occupancy (SRO) program, $1 million from a NYC Department of Housing Preservation (HPD)-Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS loan, and $4 million from the state's Homeless Housing Assistance Corporation. A HUD capital grant for $400,000 was part of a Supportive Housing Grant of $2.2 million. Bell Atlantic Credit Corporation provided equity of $13.8 million for construction financing. A Chase CDC construction/permanent loan for $1.6 million is the project's only commercial debt. A portion of the developer's fee was deposited in the Sponsor Reserve Account. A contract with the city's Department of Homeless Services mandates that 60 percent of new residents be referrals from homeless shelters. Kenmore Hall has a set-aside of 300 for HUD Section 8 vouchers, and 15 units are reserved for persons with AIDS. Residents have an average household income of $7,282 and pay an average monthly rent of $158.
DEVELOPMENT PROCESS: During the three-year rehabilitation effort, HSI assembled financing, selected the development team, and oversaw construction. Kenmore Hall is located strategically in the high-density Manhattan neighborhood of Gramercy Park. The area is relatively affluent, but the building had been a magnet for crime. Ridding the premises of this criminal element required considerable effort. HSI worked closely with the NYC Police Department (NYPD), which committed to daily on-site police presence. Private, round-the-clock, armed security services, however, were also required. After a year, criminal activities had been cleared out, and remaining tenants were surveyed. Delays arose when ten hold-over tenants refused to move to temporary units. Seven filed legal actions that went through Federal Court appeals, and they were evicted—but the dispute cost HSI more than $600,000. Fortunately, the construction contractor did not charge for the 11-month construction delay, and the development budget contained a line item of $3,198,123 that covered the costs of additional security and legal services. The property was considered well worth salvaging because it is ideally situated in close proximity to shopping, employment opportunities, and medical and social services. Public transportation is easily accessible, with a subway station less than a block away and bus stops directly in front of the building.
DESIGN/CONSTRUCTION: Construction was planned in three phases to accommodate the internal, temporary relocation of the 250 existing tenants as newly rehabilitated units became available. Kenmore's common areas are accessible and were designed for maximum use by tenants to encourage a sense of community. The spacious lobby has a front desk with 24-hour coverage and seating for visitors and residents. The second floor holds resident-services offices and a large community room with kitchenette, exercise room, and library. Lounges and laundry rooms are located on alternating floors. A state-of-the-art security system is monitored 24 hours a day by trained staff. Modern, energy-efficient lighting was installed; exterior lights are on timers; and some lighting is motion-activated. The roof, windows, walls, boilers, and piping are well insulated. Natural gas heat, low-flow showerheads, low-water flush toilets, an energy-efficient boiler system, and automatic entrance doors save energy and resources.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: In 1994, at the outset of its involvement with the project, HSI assembled a community advisory board comprised of civic leaders, elected officials, and service providers. The board helped build support for the project and has continued to be involved in the Kenmore. The project contractor hired tradespersons that represented the diversity of the city's population and the neighborhood. Local merchants continue to provide building furnishings as well as office and cleaning supplies. Donated goods, such as furniture for residents' rooms, were obtained through the HSI network.
SOCIAL SERVICES: Residents have access to an on-site, full-time social service staff consisting of four caseworkers and two substance-abuse counselors. Regular social services, health, and educational activities are offered, such as employment skills workshops and self-help meetings. Regular group meals are served in the community room. Bellevue Hospital provides on-site mental-health services, and Visiting Nurse Services has on-site offices through which residents can obtain free health assessments, information, and referrals.
EMPOWERMENT: During development, HSI held tenant meetings to get input on design and to provide updates on construction and available social services. As rent-up neared completion, a residents' council was being formed; a group of tenants had already organized a tenant association. Tenants have volunteered to be library coordinators, financial management teachers, and contributors to the Kenmore Quarterly, a resident newsletter.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IMPACT: Since its rehabilitation, Kenmore Hall has garnered praise from tenants, service agencies, law-enforcement officers, and neighborhood residents and businesses—everyone, in fact, except the criminals who once camped there. In conjunction with the 23rd Street Business Association and the SOHO Partnership, HSI/Kenmore Hall initiated an employment program for homeless and formerly homeless men and women through which they clean streets part time while learning life skills and participating in job-readiness training. After six months of work and education, graduates of the program begin full-time jobs in the community.
Project Financing
- Total development cost: $26,477,828
- Actual cost per unit: $107,294
- Cost per square foot: $120
- Total permanent financing: $1,629,179
| Equity |  | Amount | | Terms |
| US HUD Supportive Housing Program | | $400,000 | | 30-year capital grant |
| Miscellaneous: Con Ed/Time Warner/US Marshal's/Baruch College | | $145,000 | | rebates and refunds |
| Debt | | Amount | | Terms |
| Bell Atlantic Credit Corporation | | $13,800,000 | | construction loan |
| NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development | | $4,000,000 | | 0% 30-year SRO deferred loan |
| NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development | | $1,000,000 | | 0% 30-year HOPWA deferred loan |
| NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development | | $4,000,000 | | 0% 30-year HHAP deferred loan |
| Chase CDC | | $1,629,179 | | 7.74% 15-year loan |
Organization Information
- Year established as nonprofit organization: 1987
- Number of years producing housing: 12
- Number of units produced through June 30, 1999: 1,500
- 1999 operating budget: $2,122,298
HSI develops affordable housing for individuals and famolies, manages housing, and advocates for public policies that will strengthen and preserve affordable, permanent housing. With a staff of 12, HSI is currently seeking to refinance older, supportive housing projects for low-income elders. It is pursuing several partnership initiatives: with the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center to create 90 units of affordable housing for senior citizens; with the Edwin Gould Foundation to create 50 affordable units for young adults leaving foster care, and program space for youth service providers Bronx to create 40 independant-living units for persons with AIDS and mental illness. The organization's Miami affiliate, Housing & Services of South Florida, works with the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust toward similar objectives.
For more information on the Maxwell Awards, read Ten Years of Maxwell Awards.
Monday, May 19, 2014
Fwd: Notify NYC - Notification
Watch out for noisy crap overhead and loose women hooking up with sailors all week.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Notify NYC <PHX-gwb@sendwordnow.com>
Date: Sun, May 18, 2014 at 1:08 PM
Subject: Notify NYC - Notification
Notification issued 5/18/14 at 1:00 PM. Fleet Week 2014 events are scheduled for Monday, May 19 through Tuesday, May 27. Events will include military aircraft flyovers, aerial demonstrations, and static/stationary exhibitions throughout the NYC area.
Beginning Monday, May 19th, the U.S. Navy will conduct familiarization flights with four (4) MH-60 helicopters (photo attached) in various citywide locations from the hours of 1 PM – 2:30 PM and 3 PM – 4:30 PM.
More event-specific information may be issued as it becomes available. For further information, please see the attached photo or visit: http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/.
From: Notify NYC <PHX-gwb@sendwordnow.com>
Date: Sun, May 18, 2014 at 1:08 PM
Subject: Notify NYC - Notification
Notification issued 5/18/14 at 1:00 PM. Fleet Week 2014 events are scheduled for Monday, May 19 through Tuesday, May 27. Events will include military aircraft flyovers, aerial demonstrations, and static/stationary exhibitions throughout the NYC area.
Beginning Monday, May 19th, the U.S. Navy will conduct familiarization flights with four (4) MH-60 helicopters (photo attached) in various citywide locations from the hours of 1 PM – 2:30 PM and 3 PM – 4:30 PM.
More event-specific information may be issued as it becomes available. For further information, please see the attached photo or visit: http://www.fleetweeknewyork.com/.
The sender included the following attachment:
https://phx-attachments.sendwordnow.com/Attachments.aspx?token=46365b15-1eec-4b76-ab4f-411dfb81f48e
The sender provided the following contact information.
Sender's Name: Notify NYC
Sender's Email: notifynyc@oem.nyc.gov
Sender's Contact Phone: 212-639-9675
"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world; indeed, that is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead
Friday, May 16, 2014
"Ideal" Model for Supportive Housing
According to the Supportive Housing Network of New York see
their website at www. http://shnny.org). The
following describes an ideal model of supportive housing. Things to think about while reading: Do you think that Kenmore Hall blends in seamlessly with the buildings around it? Do the folks hanging out in front of the building blend in? Do you feel that - nice as the neighborhood is - it's equitable to put low-income people who use food stamps into a neighborhood where shopping for basic groceries costs more than many other neighborhoods (and it's not like we all buy special, organically grown veggies or eat lobster every night - I'm talking about staples)? Does it seem like the rent is affordable here, when we're all living in one room with a bathroom and the rent is the same as what they charge for multiple room apartments in the outer boroughs? I have a lot of other questions to pose, but it may be more important to just read the article. One sentence jumped right out at me, though, because for the past 8 or so months, H.S.I. has been on a campaign to make tenants here feel that participation in a set cluster of services is mandatory; meanwhile, this organization says that "The range of services offered is flexible and depends on the needs of the tenants." That doesn't sound like they're talking about the same thing at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Supportive housing
emerged in the 1980s as a cost-effective solution to homelessness. Despite its
record of success, this unique housing model is often confused with homeless
shelters, public housing projects or drug-treatment clinics. The following
section aims to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about
supportive housing.
What is supportive
housing?
Supportive housing is
permanent, affordable housing in which support services are offered on-site to help homeless,
disabled and low-income people live independently in the community. Tenants
have leases or lease-like agreements, apartments are affordable, rent cannot exceed
one-third of tenants’ income and property management and services are provided
by nonprofit organizations.
What does it look
like?
Supportive housing is
built to blend seamlessly with the buildings around it. Nonprofit organizations
typically develop supportive housing to be either the nicest building on the
block or "invisible" to enhance desirability for neighbors and
tenants. See the Network's photo gallery for images of supportive housing residences.
Who lives in
supportive housing?
Tenants can include
people with psychiatric disabilities, people with histories of addiction,
seniors, families, young adults aging out of foster care, people living with
HIV/AIDS and people who have been homeless. Many supportive housing residences
in New York City
What kinds of
services are available in supportive housing?
The range of services
offered is flexible and depends on the needs of the tenants. They can include
mental and medical health care, vocational and employment services, child care,
independent living skills training and substance abuse counseling.
What is the impact of
developing supportive housing on the community?
·
On property values: According to the most rigorous and largest study
to date, supportive housing does not depress neighboring property
values and actually leads to a slight increase in value for properties closest
to new residences.
·
On employment: jobs during construction and 12 permanent ongoing ones.
Providers frequently give local
preference for jobs where possible.
·
On crime: The presence of on-site, around-the-clock staff who are charged
with maximizing tenants’ success typically leads to decreases in neighborhood
crime.
·
On accountability: Nonprofit organizations
respond immediately to community concerns.
·
On community development: Supportive housing residences frequently act as anchors for the
blocks on which they’re developed, making way for neighborhood redevelopment.
·
On community resources: Supportive housing often features community rooms, gardens and
libraries that providers share with the local community.
How successful is
supportive housing?
According to studies
conducted over the past 15 years, supportive housing is the most successful
intervention yet developed for ending homelessness among the most vulnerable.
How cost-effective is
supportive housing?
Supportive housing
drastically reduces the use of the costliest systems of care including hospital
emergency rooms, acute care and inpatient psychiatric care according to a
half-dozen studies nationally. In New York , the largest, most rigorous
study of tenants’ use of services before and after
entering supportive housing found that on average, a supportive apartment in New York City
When and why was
supportive housing first developed?
Supportive housing
was initially developed in 1980 in New
York City
How does supportive
housing work?
The concept behind
supportive housing is simple: Tenants rent attractive, safe, affordable and have immediate access to whatever on-site support they need
to stay housed and healthy.
Who runs supportive
housing?
Supportive housing is
owned and operated by nonprofit organizations, with regular oversight from
city, state and federal agencies.
Where is supportive
housing located?
Though supportive
housing exists across the country, New
York City New York State
Where can I learn
more?
The Supportive
Housing Network of New York represents more than 220 supportive housing
providers statewide. Call our New York City
office (646-619-9640) or Albany
|
ANOTHER VIEWPOINT
is necessary to present a balanced picture
|
Hello, do I need to spell it out? While
this presents a glamorous and sanitized model for ending chronic homelessness,
does it really make sense to you? I’d actually like to get some feedback from
blog readers on this, in the form of comments below. I’d also love to know how
many of you actually ended up here because you had health, mental illness, or
substance abuse issues that needed to be addressed along with your housing
needs, AND I’d love to know if
H.S.I. has actually helped at all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)