| Greetings!
Welcome to the September 2013 issue of Network News, the Supportive Housing Network of New York's monthly e-newsletter. In this issue, you'll find stories on our brand new blog and upcoming Awards Gala, Commissioner Wambua's departure from HPD, the passing of affordable housing hero Alan Epstein and more. As always, we welcome story ideas and tips for future issues. Thanks for reading!
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| New Yorkers: Vote Today! | Democratic, Republican primary elections take place now
 | | Rev. Calvin O. Butts speaks at the launch of United to End Homelessness, a campaign to highlight the issue of homelessness during NYC's 2013 elections. Photo courtesy of United to End Homelessness. |
We urge all our readers in New York City to participate in today's primary elections. Follow this link to find your polling place and this link for a sample ballot based on your place of residence. Today's Democratic and Republican primaries will determine who will appear on the final ballot of NYC's general election on November 5.
This election season has spawned several coalitions to advance platforms to end homelessness and expand affordable housing. The Network has participated in two of these campaigns: Housing First! and United to End Homelessness. We urge you to visit their websites and learn more about the policies our next mayor can implement to eradicate homelessness and preserve and expand affordable housing.
Have fun at the polls! |
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| Wambua announces departure from HPD | RuthAnne Visnauskas appointed as new commissioner
 | | (left) NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) Commissioner Mathew Wambua accepts his award as Government Partner of the Year at the Network's 2012 Awards Gala. (right) Incoming HPD Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas. Ms. Visnauskas served until recently as the agency's Deputy Commissioner for Development. |
After two and a half years at the helm, Mathew Wambua has announced the end of his tenure as Commissioner of the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD). Commissioner Wambua's last day at HPD was Friday, September 6.
Beginning later this month, the commissioner will join Richman Housing Resources as President of RHR Funding LLC, a new mortgage lending entity within the Richman Group.
Commissioner Wambua's time has been an exciting one at HPD. At the Network's 2012 New York State Supportive Housing Conference, the commissioner announced an ambitious new plan to double HPD's annual production of supportive housing, from 500 to 1,000 units. Despite substantial cuts in federal aid, HPD has kept this record-level commitment and is on target to meet its goals. For this and many other reasons, Commissioner Wambua was awarded the Network's Government Partner of the Year award at the 2012 Awards Gala.
As Deputy Commissioner for Development during Commissioner Wambua's term, RuthAnne Visnauskas played a critical role in HPD's success. She is the ideal choice to lead the agency as it prepares to complete the 165,000 affordable units of the New Housing Market Place initiative.
"It has been an honor to work with some of the most dedicated and compassionate public servants in the business," Commissioner Wambua said. "The knowledge that the work we do represents an investment in the future of New Yorkers and their families is why we are so passionate about our mission at HPD."
See our post at Network Newsfeed for further details:
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In Memoriam: Alan Epstein
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A giant of the NY affordable housing community passes away
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Alan Epstein accepts the award for Private Sector Partner of the Year at the Network's 2008 Awards Gala.
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It is with enormous sadness that we report the passing of Alan Epstein, a longtime pillar of New York's supportive and affordable housing community. Alan lost his battle with cancer on the morning of September 4. He was 56 years old.
As a partner at Hirschen Singer & Epstein LLP, Alan devoted his professional life to helping supportive and affordable housing developers find new ways to build the homes needed to house the most vulnerable among us. In addition to his extraordinary legal work, Alan was Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Supportive Housing Network of New York, a mentor and a dear friend. It is difficult to express how much we will miss him.
Alan's innovative and energetic spirit often made it seem that anything was possible, that any residence could be built, despite the abundant challenges. His understanding of development law and finance helped ensure that supportive housing residences would be built with the resources and oversight that allowed them to become the much-admired housing model replicated across the country that supportive housing is today. Alan's guidance provided the foundation that allows New York now to build supportive housing on a scale that is finally beginning to approach the enormous need.
Alan's work dramatically improved the lives of thousands of New Yorkers. Just a few examples illustrate his considerable influence.
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Awards Gala tickets now available!
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We hope to see you at Capitale on October 16
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Award winners from the Network's 2012 Awards Gala.
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We've just opened registration for the Supportive Housing Network's 2013 Awards Gala! Follow this link to learn how you can purchase tickets and sponsor supportive housing's event of the season.
Every year, the supportive housing community gathers for the Network's Awards Gala, a night to celebrate, network, snack on hors d'oeuvres and honor the extraordinary people of our community. The Gala takes place this year on Wednesday, October 16 from 6pm-9pm. The event, now in its tenth year, returns to Capitale (130 Bowery St. in Manhattan). We've completely refashioned the space this year to accommodate our ever-growing guest list.
Your support of the Gala pays for roughly one-fifth of the Network's budget -- the funding we need to continue statewide advocacy work on behalf of more than 215 nonprofit supportive housing providers.
The Gala will conclude with a brief awards ceremony. This year, we are excited to honor three most worthy individuals who have played significant roles in expanding access to supportive housing for vulnerable New Yorkers:
For his leadership in making supportive housing a central component of the NYS Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) initiative to reduce costs and improve care of chronically ill individuals:
Jason A. Helgerson
NYS Director of Medicaid
Government Partner of the Year
For increasing investment in innovative and distinctive supportive housing residences:
Rick Lyon
Executive Vice President, Capital One
Private Sector Partner of the Year
For his public service and essential role in the success of the three landmark New York/New York supportive housing development initiatives:
Frank R. Lipton, M.D.
Executive Deputy Commissioner/Medical Director, NYC Human Resources Administration, Customized Assistance Services
Tim O'Hanlon Unsung Hero of the Year
As always, we'll also be honoring outstanding supportive housing tenants and residences at the Gala. The nomination period has closed for these awards.
Visit our blog, Network Newsfeed, for future updates on all our honorees. We look forward to honoring your work in October!
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| $22 million in HHAP awards announced | Grants to fund 6 residences, 469 units of supportive housing
 Governor Cuomo has announced $22.2 million in capital funding awards to develop seven new housing programs across New York State. Six of the awards will aid the construction of supportive housing residences. The grants, administered through the NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA)'s Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP), will help create 469 units of supportive housing in Albany, Bronx, Kings, Monroe and Westchester Counties.
"Supportive housing is essential to breaking the cycle of homelessness for New York's most vulnerable individuals and families," Governor Cuomo said. "Increasing the supply of supportive housing units not only provides vital assistance to New Yorkers in need, but also improves the efficiency of Medicaid by reducing emergency room visits, hospitalizations and lengths of stay in long-term care facilities."
All six supportive housing projects are being developed by Network members: CAMBA Housing Ventures, Concern for Independent Living, DePaul Properties, New Destiny Housing, Westhab and Support Ministries. The supportive housing awards range from $1.1 million to $6 million.
For more details, including quotes from award winners, see our complete write-up at Network Newsfeed:
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| Family supportive housing RFP released | OASAS to fund 70 units of NY/NY III "Pop G" housing
 The NYS Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) has just released a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for 70 units of NY/NY III supportive housing for chronically homeless families or families at serious risk of becoming chronically homeless in New York City in which the head of household has a substance use disorder or a disabling medical condition. This classification marks this as NY/NY III Population G supportive housing. There is a total of $1,750,000 in available funding for this initiative.
You can read the RFP here.
Eligible applicants must be OASAS-certified social services or voluntary agencies. In an effort to serve underserved areas, there will be an award preference for both Staten Island (Richmond) and Queens Counties. OASAS will seek to award 20 to 30 units to agencies who submit proposals for housing in Staten Island and Queens.
These units can be provided under these two approaches:
Option 1: Applicant agencies with a single site residence that is ready for occupancy or will be ready for occupancy within six months of a grant award are eligible to apply. In this case, the applicant agency should plan to place families directly into its single site.
Option 2: This alternative is a two-phase approach. The first phase will lease scattered-site or small cluster rental apartments based on U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents (FMR) from private landlords in the neighborhood where the applicant has control of an appropriate site for the capital development of a single site. During this phase of program operation, the provider agency will receive funding from OASAS sufficient to lease apartments up to FMR rates. The second phase dictates that, upon the single-site building's opening for occupancy, agencies will relocate tenants from the scattered-site units to the new single-site building. The single-site building should include 24-hour security or front desk coverage.
All applications must be received by 5pm on Wednesday, October 16, 2013. For a full rundown on upcoming deadlines and new requirements, read our full analysis at Network Newsfeed: |
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| HCR releases Unified Funding Round | Applications for funding due October 10, December 5
 NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has released its annual Unified Funding Round Request for Proposals (RFP) for its Multifamily Capital and Credit Programs. The Network commends the State for once again committing a minimum of $4 million in federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) funding for supportive housing developments.You can read the RFP here. Funds available this year include roughly $25 million in LIHTC, $4 million in NYS Low Income Housing Tax Credits (SLIHC), $32 million in Housing Trust Fund (HTF) funding and $5.5 million in NYS HOME funds. Also available are $500,000 in Rural Area Revitalization Program (RARP) and $50,000 in Urban Initiatives (UI) funding, carried over from last year. New this year, the funding round offers $5.4 million in funding through the Rural and Urban Community Investment Fund. This program will fund rural preservation projects and non-residential spaces in mixed developments across the state. Those seeking funding must submit early round applications by October 10 and regular round applications by December 5.
For details on the RFP scoring criteria and upcoming informational meetings in Albany, NYC and Rochester, see our complete story at Network Newsfeed:
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| Network launches Network Newsfeed | | A new, regularly-updated resource for housing news
The Network has just launched its very first blog!
Head over to our site now to browse Network Newsfeed, a new resource for regularly-updated news from the world of New York supportive housing. Our blog offers several posts per week on advocacy and funding opportunities, events, grand openings, press items and more.
Network Newsfeed also offers a space to have your voice heard. We'd love to hear your ideas for guest blog posts in the future. As an example, see this terrific piece from Rachel Fee of the Housing First! coalition on a recent NYC Democratic mayoral debate.
Thanks to this new space, many of our newsletter stories will now appear in a slightly shortened form. Abridged stories will end with a link to our blog, where you can read the full story. We hope you enjoy our new, streamlined newsletter.
We also hope you check out these posts and others on Network Newsfeed!
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Network Jobs Board Check out these job openings and many others on our Jobs Board. Network members can post their employment opportunities for free!
Case Manager Supervisor Henry Street Settlement
Executive Director (Long Island) HELP USA Security Guard Comunilife |
Upcoming
Events
The Network is offering a slew of trainings and workshops this fall! Together with the Center for Urban Community Services (CUCS), we're hosting workshops on hoarding, working with the chronically homeless tenants and tenants with special needs, bed bugs, trauma and coordinating property management with social services. We're also offering a small training on complying with Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements. These events will be held in NYC, Albany and Buffalo.
To learn how you can attend, see our Upcoming Events page!
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 News Clips Carol Corden of New Destiny Housing publishes a piece in the New York Daily News on the need for more housing options for domestic violence survivors in NYC. The piece notes that less than 1% of all supportive housing in NYC is designated for survivors of DV. You can read the story here. Steve Lopez, the journalist whose articles led to the production of the 2009 film The Soloist, has once again written about the benefits of supportive housing. Writing in the LA Times, Mr. Lopez offers a portrait of Alex, a supportive housing tenant in Santa Monica. You can read the article here and our analysis here. Silicon Valley De-Bug posts a moving and essential video on the effects of sequestration on Section 8 households. The video offers first-hand accounts of low-income tenants who've seen their rents rise dramatically as a result of the 2011 Budget Control Act. You can watch the video here and browse more sequestration stories here. Capital New York provides a rundown of how NYC's mayoral candidates plan to increase affordable housing development in New York. The piece includes a quote from Network Executive Director Ted Houghton. You can read it here. |
Member Updates As part of New York's new Parachute NYC project, Services for the UnderServed (SUS) has opened a new extended-stay crisis center for young adults in Brooklyn. This Crisis Respite Center offers a warm, home-like environment with 24-hour peer support, self-help training and other services for New Yorkers age 18-30. Other Network members involved in the Parachute NYC program include Community Access and Transitional Services of New York, Inc. To learn more about the pilot project, see the Parachute NYC website or this article from our February 2013 newsletter. |
Comings & Goings Kristin M. Woodlock has been named the new Chief Operating Officer of FEGS Health & Human Services. Ms Woodlock arrives at the organization after serving as the Acting Commissioner of the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH). She has served at OMH in a number of roles, including Executive Deputy Commissioner and Deputy Director of the Division of Children and Family Services. We congratulate both her and our friends at FEGS on this new appointment. For video of Ms Woodlock from our annual conference in June, follow this link.
After more than a year at Community Solutions, Sarah Hovde is set to leave her position of Director of Brownsville Research and Resources. On September 23, she begins a new post at the NYS Housing Trust Fund Corporation. Ms Hovde will soon help administer Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Disaster Relief dollars for those impacted by Hurricane Sandy. She'll be working on single-family home repair, reconstruction and retrofit in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland and Westchester Counties. We congratulate her on what sounds like an exciting new post. |
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