| 23 June 2009 |
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 9th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference a huge success: Thank You!
 An impressive list of expert speakers and inspiring attendance combined to make the Network's 9th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference a huge success, with more than 1,000 people registering for the June 9th event at the Hilton New York. The turnout was extraordinary, considering the hard rain and tough economic climate.
We were pleased to host a lively morning plenary in which the Commissioners from OMH, OTDA, DHS and HRA -- Michael Hogan, David Hansell, Robert Hess and Robert Doar -- discussed supportive housing's future, fielded audience questions and announced important news (see story below). United Way of NYC CEO Gordon Campbell deftly moderated, keeping the conversation substantial and informative. All four commissioners have been champions for supportive housing during their tenures and were warmly received by the audience.
Three commissioners made their conference debuts in an informative discussion about supportive housing services and policy directions capably moderated by BRC's Muzzy Rosenblatt. OASAS Commissioner Karen Carpenter-Palumbo joined Adam Karpati, Executive Deputy Commissioner from DOHMH, and Martin Horn, the Commissioner of the New York City Departments of Correction and Probation, to talk about the numerous ways all three had incorporated supportive housing into each of their agencies' missions. And in the afternoon, the HFA and HDC Presidents Priscilla Almodovar and Marc Jahr and the HPD and DHCR Commissioners Rafael Cestero and Deborah VanAmerongen engaged in a detailed and dynamic conversation about development challenges moderated by Network Board Chair Bill Traylor. In all, eleven agency leaders involved in supportive housing participated in the conference.
 We were thrilled to welcome luminaries from outside the supportive housing community to this year's conference as well. We thank media experts Errol Louis, Andy Breslau, Jordan Moss and David Lerner for taking the time to give workshop attendees advice on how they can effectively outreach to the press. Judge Jaya K. Madhavan honored us with his presence in a workshop explaining how to navigate the housing court system (and strategies to avoid it altogether).
From left, Goddard Riverside's Rev. Georgiette Morgan-Thomas, 32nd Precinct
Community Affairs Officer P.O.R. Johnson, 30th Precinct Community Council
President Hazel O'Reilly, Broadway Housing Communities' Ana-Ofelia Rodriguez
(not pictured: 32nd Precinct Crime Prevention Officer Carla Thomas)
Officers from the 32nd Precinct and the President of the 30th Precinct Community Council joined us for a spirited discussion of how close relationships with local police can improve residences, communities and tenants. And we were very pleased that Steve Burghardt and Willie Tolliver of Leadership Transformation Group were there to inspire us with their insights and expertise on nonprofit management.
Trying times made the workshops on new resources especially welcome. The workshop on federal policy directions outlined new federal resources. A moving and engaging workshop on homeless veterans publicized state and federal resources for that population, and a workshop on 'green' money provided information about resources for retrofitting and developing energy-efficient supportive housing.
As always, we were pleased to be able to highlight important work being done by members including new research from CUCS/Common Ground and workshops on remarkable work being done for homeless families, in community outreach, in harm reduction, on HOPWA reporting and in getting clients SSI/SSD.
Many of the materials and presentations are available on the Network's website at http://www.shnny.org/workshops.html. Pictures from the day are also available at http://www.shnny.org/2009ConferencePhotos.html.
It's an honor to host this inspiring gathering each year, with so many dedicated professionals doing such important work. We deeply appreciate the contributions of the conference planning committee and all the panelists, moderators and volunteers who helped make this year's conference so excellent. As always, we are grateful for the support of the conference's many sponsors and exhibitors...especially this year.
Thank you everyone. We are already looking forward to next year's conference.
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House passes $200 million "Homes for Heroes" legislation; Senator Schumer introduces Senate companion bill
HUD, VA Announce allocation of $75 million for 10,000 HUD-VASH vouchers
On June 16th, the US House of Representatives passed the Homes for Heroes Act (H.R. 403) by an overwhelming vote of 417 to 2. This legislation would establish a $200 million supportive housing initiative within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homeless and very low income veterans. The bill, co-sponsored by New York Representatives Timothy Bishop, John Hall, Carolyn Maloney, Michael McMahon, and Jose Serrano, also authorizes 20,000 HUD Section 8 vouchers annually for homeless veterans.
Senator Charles Schumer introduced identical legislation in the Senate, where it may face more opposition. In a press release to introduce the companion bill, Senator Schumer called attention to the plight of homeless veterans in New York State.
"One homeless veteran is one too many," Schumer said. "Our veterans have served our country and in return we must serve them. The least we can do is make sure they have a roof over their head in the nation they fought to protect."
Approximately 16,000 veterans slept in shelters or on the streets on any given night in 2007, according to the latest data available from the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
The $200 million housing program would provide planning grants, capital advances, project rental assistance, and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations developing supportive housing for veterans. It would work in tandem with services offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and funded by the 2008 Mental Health Improvement Act, which was signed into law last year.
The legislation was hailed by Cheryl Beversdorf, President and CEO of the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans (NCHV), as an important advance in the effort to reduce homelessness among veterans, who constitute nearly one quarter of all homeless people nationwide.
"NCHV is very pleased the House of Representatives passed H.R. 403, the Homes for Heroes Act of 2009," said Beversdorf. "Implementing this historic initiative will be a giant step forward towards ending and preventing veteran homelessness in America."
Adding to the good news for veterans, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and VA Secretary Erik K. Shinseki announced the allocation of $75 million for approximately 10,000 Section 8 vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing Program (HUD-VASH) on Thursday. This program combines HUD rental assistance with case management services provided by the VA.
Homes for Heroes contains a number of additional provisions that promote supportive housing for veterans; the Act:
- Creates the position of Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs within HUD
- Excludes veterans' VA benefits from federal assisted housing rent calculations
- Requires all local public housing agencies to develop plans to address the needs of homeless veterans as part of their comprehensive housing affordability strategy submitted to HUD
- Authorizes $1 million in HUD grants for technical assistance to housing and service providers applying to and utilizing authorized funds, as well as to assist veterans in obtaining housing or homeless assistance
- Requires HUD to submit a comprehensive annual report to Congress on its implementation of programs in the bill and efforts to address the housing needs of homeless veterans
In the weeks before he introduced the Homes for Heroes Act, Senator Schumer called the new administration an "enormous opportunity" to enact Homes for Heroes, since President Obama had been a lead sponsor of the bill while in the Senate. Last year, the bill passed the House only to stall in the Senate, but veterans' housing advocates are cautiously optimistic about the bill's prospects this session.
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OTDA Commissioner David Hansell to take position in Obama Administration
Last week, Governor David Paterson announced that OTDA Commissioner David Hansell would leave his post to serve as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The ACF Division of HHS oversees a vast portfolio of programs, including TANF, foster care and adoption, HeadStart, and child abuse and domestic violence prevention, along with many other program areas.
Under Commissioner Hansell's leadership, OTDA made great strides expanding service and capital funds for supportive housing, as well as embracing and formalizing the supportive housing for families and youth (SHFYA) program. OTDA's effort to expand access to food stamps not only reduced hunger across the state, it also secured over $400 million in additional funding for essential services for New York. While his loss will be felt in the admininstration, we are certain he will make an enormous, positive contribution in his new role in the federal government. The Network thanks him for his service to New York; we wish him success in his new role.
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Departing OTDA Commissioner Hansell announces HHAP rolling RFP at Network Conference; SRO Support Services awards also announced
New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Commissioner David A. Hansell drew lengthy applause at the Network's 9th Annual Supportive Housing Conference with the announcement of a major change to the Homeless Housing Assistance Program: OTDA is launching an open, rolling RFP process for HHAP.
The new process will allow housing providers to more effectively utilize multiple funding streams and shave months off the development process. The announcement fulfills a longstanding Network advocacy goal, and we were honored that the Commissioner chose the Network Conference to deliver the news.
While complete details about the new process will soon be posted on OTDA's website, Commissioner Hansell stated that initially applicants will be given an application due date, probably in August. Qualifying programs will then be funded in the order received until the $30 million in funding is spent. Commissioner Hansell said that OTDA will apply several criteria to the funding, including set-asides for HIV/AIDS and for geographical diversity. He also said that the RFP will look very similar to last year's.
Commissioner Hansell also announced at the conference the recent release of OTDA's Homelessness Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing RFP, and that the agency would soon announce awards for new SRO Support Services contracts, made possible by the funding restoration achieved by the Network this spring. Details about the additional $800,000 in funding were made public last week: nine buildings providing 272 people with supportive housing will receive funding.
The grantees are Warren-Washington Association for Mental Health, Inc. (Washington County); The Fortune Society, Inc. (Queens); The Salvation Army of Rochester (Monroe County); Concern for Independent Living, Inc. (Suffolk County); Catholic Charities of Onondaga County; ETC Housing Corporation (Clinton County); Common Ground Community HDFC (Manhattan); Volunteers of America of Western New York (Monroe County); and Saving Grace Ministries, Inc. (Erie County)
Congratulations to all awardees. Additional awards are expected to be announced later by the New York City Department of Homeless Services, which administers most of the SRO grants in the City.
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Network member Lakeview MHS wins recognition for building design and brand design
Lakeview Mental Health Services based in Geneva, New York recently won an award for the design of Lakeview SRO as well as for their new logo/branding.
 On June 27th, the agency will receive a 2009 AIA Design Award from the Rochester chapter of the American Institute of Architects for its Lakeview SRO, designed by PLAN Architectural Studio and opened last year. The award is the highest recognition given by the AIA, which selected Lakeview out of a field of 36 nominees.
Lakeview SRO
 The Summit International Award (SIA) organization will honor Lakeview MHS and K2 Comunications with a bronze award for creative excellence in Brand Redesign in its Summit Marketing Effectiveness Awards this summer. This year's SIA awards drew thousands of submissions from 26 countries. The Lakeview logo at left was developed as part of the brand redesign.
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Et Cetera: nyhomes annual report touts investment in supportive housing, Network announces Conference raffle winners
The new nyhomes 2008 Annual Report highlights and spotlights supportive housing; there is a feature on Network member Fortune Society and their Academy Complex as well as mention of Bowery Residents' Committee's Liberty Avenue development, both of which received nyhomes funds. Read the report here.
A number of exhibitors at this year's conference livened things up by holding raffles, with prizes ranging from a bottle of wine to a flat screen TV. Below are the victors and their spoils:
- Olga Brito of The Bridge, Inc. won a bottle of wine from ALC Environmental
- Nadjette Natchava of Services for the Underserved won an iPod from M.P. Company
- Marta Bell of the Association for Energy Affordability won a flat-screen TV from Ballington Consulting Co.
- Marjorie Vezer of South Shore Association for Independent Living won a pair of tickets to a Mets game from Chem Rx
Have news you'd like us to publish? Let us know!
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