Governor Cuomo Announces $1.75 Million Awarded to Fight Chronic Homelessness

for Families Dealing With Addiction in New York City

 

Permanent Supportive Housing Ends Vicious Cycle that Leads to More Severe Addiction

and Creates More Progressive Communities

Albany, NY (February 11, 2014)

 

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced $1.75 million in grants awarded to provide permanent supportive housing in New York City for homeless families struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol. This announcement builds on the Governor’s commitment to support community treatment opportunities, including supportive housing units for homeless families with members suffering from a chemical dependency. These funds are available through the New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS).

 

“Permanent supportive housing programs are essential to breaking the cycle of homelessness for New York’s most vulnerable individuals and families,” said Governor Cuomo. “These programs provide the vital support services necessary to help families maintain physical and emotional health, sustain healthy relationships, and generally improve the overall quality of their lives. With these grants, we are helping to increase New York City’s supply of stable housing options for homeless individuals and families struggling with addiction, and ultimately creating more progressive and compassionate communities.”

 

The first priority for this program is families living in the NYC Department of Homeless Services shelter system. Families living in other transitional housing settings are also considered to be a priority population, including the families of women who are scheduled to complete their course of treatment at an OASAS-certified intensive residential facility designed to serve women and their children.

 

These awards mark the third round of permanent supportive housing grants for families, a component of the New York/New York III (NY/NY III) housing program, which includes rental subsidies, intensive case management services, job development and employment counseling services, and clinical supervision of the direct service staff. The rental subsidies are based on HUD Fair Market Rental rates for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.

 

“Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a major cause of homelessness,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “It’s a vicious circle; the longer people and families remain homeless, the more severe their addiction generally becomes. Safe, affordable housing and stable living-wage employment are fundamental to successful long-term recovery.”

 

The NY/NY III program is a 10-year commitment between New York City and New York State to create 9,000 new units of supportive housing in New York City. The agreement includes 1,150 units for family supportive housing. The State is responsible for 375 of these units, with the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) procuring the rest.

 

The five agencies identified to receive awards include:

 

Agency	Geographic Area	Number of Units
Fortune Society	Queens	15
Project Hospitality	Staten Island	15
Samaritan Village	Bronx	15
Odyssey House	Brooklyn	15
Women In Need	Bronx	10
5 Agencies	4 Communities	70 apartments

 

JoAnne Page, Fortune Society, Inc. President and CEO said, “The Fortune Society is honored to be selected to provide housing in Queens to 15 families in desperate need for the stable foundation that these homes will give them as they seek to build good lives in the community. As we help people to reenter society after incarceration, we have learned that safe, stable supportive housing makes a life-changing difference to people who are struggling to recover from addiction and prevent recidivism.”

 

Reverend Terry Troia, Executive Director of Project Hospitality said, “Staten Island is desperately in need of additional affordable housing units post Sandy, and the stress of our borough post Sandy has led to acute alcohol and drug problems that have plagued our families. This supportive housing opportunity will mean critical and life sustaining housing and support for those very Staten Islanders in need.”

 

Tino Hernandez, Samaritan Village President and CEO said, “We are grateful to Governor Cuomo and OASAS Commissioner González-Sánchez for their leadership and commitment to expanding permanent supportive housing options through the State’s Medicaid Redesign process. The award of 15 new units will greatly enhance our ability to provide much needed housing coupled with support services to New York City families struggling with homelessness and addiction.”

 

Peter Provet, Ph.D., President and CEO of Odyssey House said, “A safe and secure place to live is essential for families in recovery from substance use disorders. We are honored to work with OASAS on developing housing services for people who, with minimal support, can build on the relapse prevention strategies and behavioral changes they learned in treatment. We are also pleased to be able to provide our second housing program to vulnerable families in Brooklyn and help those who lived there before entering treatment to increase their chances of success through our connections with local community-based services.”

 

Bonnie Stone, President and CEO of Women In Need said, “Women In Need (WIN) is honored to have been selected to provide an additional 15 units of supportive housing for families in the Bronx. WIN currently operates more than 220 units of Supportive Housing for families and these new units will enable us to continue our work of stabilizing families and empowering them towards a life of self-sufficiency.”

 

For all New Yorkers struggling with an addiction – or whose loved ones are struggling – help and hope are available. The State’s toll-free, 24-hour, 7-day a week HOPEline, 1-877-8-HOPENY, is staffed by trained clinicians who are ready to answer questions, offer treatment referrals, and provide other vital resources to facilitate that first step into recovery. For more information, please visit www.oasas.ny.gov.