Governor Hochul Announces $17.3 Million for Supportive Housing Projects and Emergency Shelter Repairs

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that $17.3 million in state funding was awarded to six projects in four counties that will provide emergency and permanent supportive housing to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness. Supported through the State's Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, these projects include emergency shelter repairs and developments that will create or preserve an additional 120 units serving veterans, survivors of domestic violence, individuals with a history of substance use disorder, and those suffering from serious mental illness.

“All too often, New Yorkers experiencing homelessness or housing instability are afflicted by underlying conditions, such as substance use disorders or serious mental illness,” Governor Hochul said. “By providing state funding for projects that couple affordable housing with supportive services, New York is working to address the root issues that either cause or contribute to homelessness and start these individuals and their families on the road to long-term housing stability.”

Administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program is an important component of Governor Hochul's sweeping plans to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable throughout New York. This includes a new $25 billion, five-year housing plan that will create and preserve another 100,000 affordable homes in urban and rural areas across the state, including 10,000 units with support services for vulnerable populations

The Fiscal Year 2023 Executive Budget continues $128 million in capital funding for the program to build new supportive housing units or repair existing emergency shelters. During the current funding cycle, the program has allocated nearly $83.7 million that will create 618 units of permanent supportive housing, 14 units of transitional housing, and 67 units of emergency housing.

The projects awarded funding today include:

• United Veterans Beacon House, Inc. was awarded $2.6 million to construct permanent supportive housing for a family where the head of household is a veteran and to preserve two emergency shelters for single homeless adults in the Suffolk County hamlet of East Patchogue.
• Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. was awarded $2.49 million to rehabilitate a three-story building into 12 units of supportive housing and an 18-bed emergency shelter serving homeless women over the age of 18 in the Chautauqua County city of Jamestown.
• Barrier Free Living, Inc. was awarded $6 million to construct a 13-story building with 44 units of permanent supportive housing that will be part of a larger 75-unit project with 30 units set aside for frail elderly individuals in Manhattan.
• Catholic Charities of Onondaga County was awarded $5.94 million to substantially rehabilitate an existing commercial building and preserve 80 beds of emergency housing that must relocate due to a large economic development project in Syracuse.

In addition, Penates, Inc. was awarded $100,000 in shelter repair funding to restore a two-story home and preserve 17 beds of emergency housing for homeless families in the Suffolk County hamlet of Bay Shore. The company was awarded another $100,000 to perform shelter repairs at a separate two-story, 17-bed home elsewhere in Bayshore.

Last year, the program provided funding to 30 projects that will add 881 units of supportive housing and repair emergency shelters throughout the state.

OTDA Acting Commissioner Daniel W. Tietz said, “Permanent supportive housing is a critical component of our efforts to ensure all New Yorkers have access to a safe, affordable place to call home – especially those who are most vulnerable. These projects, like many others funded through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, couple affordable housing with the supportive services some families and individuals need to better ensure their housing stability and the opportunity to lead full lives in the community. I applaud Governor Hochul's ambitious five-year housing plan and her continued focus on New Yorkers with the greatest need for assistance and support.”

United Veterans Beacon House, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer Frank Amalfitano said, “We cannot turn our backs on the men and women who served honorably in our nation's armed services – especially not during their time of need. The United Veterans Beacon House will help families in Suffolk County receive the support and stability they can rely on to break cycles of homelessness. Through the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, Governor Hochul continues to demonstrate her unwavering resolve to help those New Yorkers who experience homelessness achieve lasting housing stability and a brighter future.”

Chief Executive Officer of Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. Diane Hewitt-Johnson said, “Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. would like to thank the Homeless Housing Assistance Corporation and the City of Jamestown for partnering with us on the Chautauqua Women’s Shelter project. By providing emergency housing and supportive services, this 18-bed shelter will offer a safe and caring environment for women as they transition from homelessness to independent living. The shelter is the first of its kind in Chautauqua County and we are grateful for the opportunities it will provide to women in our community.”

President/CEO of Barrier Free Living, Inc. Paul B. Feuerstein said, “Barrier Free Living just celebrated its 40th anniversary, having spent 27 years providing homeless shelter to severely disabled individuals who would otherwise have ended up in nursing homes, and 35 years providing intervention services to disabled victims of domestic violence, the number one issue of women with disabilities nationwide. HHAP has been an important partner in our work, providing the capital to build the first totally accessible emergency domestic violence shelter in the United States and to assist us in developing 120 units of supportive housing for individuals and families who are survivors of intimate partner and domestic violence. Our current award is an important milestone in developing 74 units of supportive housing for survivors of domestic violence and formerly homeless seniors transitioning out of nursing homes.”

Catholic Charities of Onondaga County Executive Director Michael F. Melara said, “There is a clear need in Syracuse to ensure those who are experiencing homelessness have a safe, stable place to call home. The Catholic Charities of Onondaga County Housing Services center will provide hospitality and supportive services to the most vulnerable people in our community. This funding from the state's Homeless Housing and Assistance Program is critical to its success and will allow us to continue to serve those in need of emergency shelter and assistance in securing permanent housing. We are thankful for the support this project is receiving through Governor Hochul, who has made addressing and reducing homelessness throughout our state a priority of her administration.”

Penates, Inc. Executive Director Carol Berkowitz said, “Emergency shelters are often an important first step in helping those who are experiencing homelessness to get onto a path toward lasting housing stability. These funds through the state's Homeless Housing and Assistance Program will help us perform critical updates to these two facilities, which will enable them to continue this important work in our communities. I applaud Governor Hochul for ensuring we have the support we need to help those who experience homelessness.”

The Homeless Housing Assistance Program provides capital grants and loans to not-for-profit corporations, charitable and religious organizations, and municipalities to acquire, construct, or rehabilitate housing for persons who are unable to secure adequate housing without special assistance. The grants are awarded through a competitive process by the New York State Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation, a public benefit corporation staffed by OTDA.

Through this program, New York State has appropriated more than $1.2 billion toward the development of supportive housing. In total, the program has created more than 22,000 units of housing to support individuals and families experiencing homelessness.