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.
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