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Greetings!
Welcome to the July 2012 issue of Network News, the Supportive Housing Network of New York's monthly e-newsletter. In this issue, you'll find stories on the NYC budget, the much-anticipated Medicaid Redesign RFP, the Building Brooklyn Awards and more. As always, we welcome story ideas and tips for future issues. Thanks for reading!
Just in: HEARTH interim rule released
HEARTH consolidates HUD's competitive programs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has just released the interim rule for its Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) program. HEARTH, enacted in 2009, consolidates HUD's competitive homelessness assistance grant programs into a single new Continuum of Care (CoC) Program. To read the interim rule, visit HUD's website. The Network will release an in-depth analysis of the document in the coming days.
State releases Medicaid Redesign RFP
$25 million available for supportive housing programs
New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) has released a Request for Proposals for $25 million in new capital funds created this year by Governor Cuomo's Medicaid Redesign Team. These funds are targeted to increase production of New York/New York III units in New York City. HCR will use its existing capital application and plans to use the funds in conjunction with its Housing Finance Agency 4% bonds. The MRT funding is capped at $125,000 per unit of supportive housing and is to be used in mixed development projects with 30% or more units dedicated to supportive housing. Applications may be submitted at any time between July 3, 2012 and January 31, 2013, or until all funds offered under this RFP are committed.

You can read the full RFP here. To learn more about the Medicaid Redesign process in New York, visit the Network's website.
NYC passes 2012-2013 budget
Includes HASA restorations, NY/NY III funding

The New York City Council has approved a budget that restores $5.1 million in proposed cuts to HIV/AIDS supportive housing contracts. The cuts, proposed in Mayor Michael Bloomberg's budget, would have impacted 4,500 supportive housing tenants funded by the NYC Human Resources Administration, HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HRA/HASA). Because the program receives a 29% State match, the total budget cut to HASA supportive housing contracts would have been $7.2 million. 

 

The restorations were made possible thanks to the leadership of Council Speaker Christine Quinn, General Welfare Chair Annabel Palma and their staff.

 

"I am pleased that we were able to restore cuts to HIV/AIDS supportive housing," said Speaker Quinn. "Stable housing is one of the most critical factors in helping low-income people living with HIV/AIDS to cope with their disease and live long and productive lives. By restoring this funding, we've sent the clear message that we will not turn our backs on people who are not only ill, but who also are at high risk for becoming homeless. My Council colleagues and I remain committed to combating homelessness and HIV/AIDS, and I am certainly 100% committed to helping New Yorkers facing both of these issues."

 

"In a very difficult budget year, I am extremely pleased that the Council was able to restore approximately $5.1 million for HASA supportive housing programs," Council Member Palma said. "This restoration saves over 100 supportive housing case workers from losing their jobs and allows providers to continue to offer the excellent care that they provide and upon which thousands of HASA clients rely. Every budget is a statement of values, and this budget is an illustration of the continuing commitment of our City to helping its most vulnerable residents."

 

Restoring this funding has been a major focus of the Network's over the past five months, along with our members and our colleagues at Housing Works, Village Care, and VOCAL-NY.

 

For more information on the HASA restorations, see the Network's press release.

 

During the budget process, the Administration also added $3.8 million to the City's financial plan for at least 300 new NY/NY III supportive housing units to come on line over the next couple of years. A Request for Proposals for these units is expected this summer. The Network has worked closely with HRA/HASA leadership on this issue and would like to thank them and their staff for expediting the funding of these units.

Network members honored at 2012 Building Brooklyn Awards
Honorees include CAMBA, Michelle de la Uz
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce honored two Network members at the 2012 Building Brooklyn Awards on July 12. The ceremony, held at the Liberty Warehouse in Red Hook, awarded 12 projects and two individuals who've helped enrich Brooklyn's neighborhoods and economy.

This year's winners included CAMBA, which received the supportive housing award for 97 Crooke Avenue, a 50-unit supportive residence opened earlier this year.

"This building is transformational -- it provides secure, serene and healthful homes that will enable its residents to thrive," said CAMBA Executive Director Joanne M. Oplustil. "By turning a long-vacant lot into a beautiful and vibrant building, 97 Crooke Avenue, the Dan Ramm Residence, will help the community flourish. We are grateful to all of our partners who made this permanent supportive housing project possible."

The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce also honored Michelle de la Uz, the Executive Director of Fifth Avenue Committee (FAC). FAC operates a number of affordable and supportive housing residences across South Brooklyn.

"Fifth Avenue Committee is honored that we've been selected by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to receive the Building Brooklyn Award for our contributions to building award-winning affordable and green housing for New Yorkers at a range of incomes and backgrounds," said Ms. de la Uz. "Working to ensure that Brooklyn can be home to families of all walks of life, including formerly homeless individuals with special needs, gives FAC tremendous satisfaction and pride and hopefully demonstrates the great need for affordable housing for everyone."

Congratulations to Ms. de la Uz, CAMBA and all those honored at this year's ceremony! For a full list of winners, see here.
House passes 2012-2013 HUD budget
Network heads to DC to advocate against dramatic cuts
The U.S. House of Representatives passed its Transportation and Housing and Urban Development budget for the coming fiscal year on June 29. The budget drastically underfunds the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance program at $2 billion -- $300 million below the actual need. The House's proposed budget would result in 25,000 more homeless individuals, no funding for new projects and a cut to the amount of overall funding available to each Continuum of Care across the country.

The House, however, did increase the budget for the HOME program, a funding stream vital to supportive housing development -- adding $200 million to President Obama and the Senate's $1 billion request. Despite the increase, the House's proposed funding level still remains far below the $1.6 billion figure enacted in fiscal year 2011.

In addition, New York Rep. Jerrold Nadler succeeded in adding $2 million for the HOPWA budget. The program will now receive a total of $322 million.

The Network is in Washington, DC this week to both participate in the 2012 National Conference on Ending Homelessness and meet with legislators to discuss funding for HUD programs. We urge you to call your representatives NOW and ask them to support higher funding for McKinney and HOME in the upcoming House/Senate conference committee negotiations. To learn how to do so, visit the Get Involved page of the Network's website.
New residences open across New York
Neighbors of Watertown, Providence Housing hold openings

Partners gather for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Paul Wolk Commons on July 12. Photo courtesy of Providence Housing Development Corporation.

The last month saw two grand opening celebrations for supportive housing residences across New York State.

On July 12, East House Corporation and Providence Housing Development Corporation held a ribbon-cutting event for Paul Wolk Commons, a mixed-use building in the heart of Rochester. The 45-unit, $8.6 million development is an adaptive reuse of a vacant and deteriorated parking garage. Thirty of the units are set aside for individuals struggling with psychiatric disabilities.

Paul Wolk Commons was developed by East House and Providence Housing; the former provides the services and the latter acts as property manager.

The grand opening event included remarks from NYS Senator Joseph E. Robach, NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH) Western Field Office Deputy Director Christine Smith and NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Upstate Director of Capital Development Lenny Skrill, among several others.


Financing for the development was provided by HCR, OMH, Federal Home Loan Bank's Affordable Housing Program and the Community Preservation Corporation (CPC). Enterprise also provided a $6.5 million Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity investment.

Pardi Partnership served as the architect with Buckingham Construction and Capstone Construction Services acting as the contractors. The residence was named after Paul Wolk, a founding director of East House.

Elsewhere, Neighbors of Watertown celebrated the grand opening of Music Center Apartments on June 19. The 13-unit project combines two adjacent complexes: a former Social Security office and a renovated, historic music school. The residence reserves units for formerly homeless people, veterans and individuals who've either aged out of the Jefferson County Children's Home or completed treatment at the CREDO Community Center for Addictions. Music Center Apartments provides housing for both single adults and families.

"There has been a need for this type of housing, and Neighbors is pleased to be able to fill this niche," said Neighbors of Watertown Executive Director Gary Beasley.

The grand opening celebration included a slate of guest speakers, including Mr. Beasley, Neighbors of Watertown President Mark Gebo, NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) Bureau of Housing Services Director Scott Edwards and representatives from U.S. Rep. Bill Owens and NYS Senator Patty Ritchie.

Music Center Apartments was built with $2.1 million in capital funding from the OTDA Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP). OTDA's Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP) funds the support services.

Neighbors of Watertown developed the project with Crawford & Stearns and Con Tech Building Systems serving as the architect and general contractor, respectively.
In This Issue
HEARTH Interim Rule
Medicaid RFP
NYC Budget
Building Brooklyn Awards
House HUD Budget
Grand Openings
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Conference A/V

We now have 43 videos, 23 podcasts and 47 PowerPoint presentations available from our 2012 conference in June. Relive the 12th Annual New York State Supportive Housing Conference in digital form here!


The Network has re-teamed up with the Association for Affordable Energy to enroll members into Con Edison's Multi-Family Energy Efficiency Program. Follow this link to learn more and enroll.

Supportive housing
in the news

THE ALBANY TIMES UNION RUNS a glowing profile of Michele Warren, a supportive housing tenant at Joseph's House & Shelter's Hill Street Inn in Troy.

JAMA NETWORK
OFFERS A BRIEF and very useful synthesis of existing research on supportive housing and cost-effectiveness. 


NPR PRODUCES A MOVING PIECE on the benefits of supportive housing for formerly homeless veterans. 

 

THE ADVOCATE HIGHLIGHTS THE New York City Council's successful campaign to restore $5.1 million in funding for supportive housing services in the 2012-2013 budget. 
Supportive housing
comings and goings

CHA LEE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR AT the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development's (HPD) Division of Special Needs Housing, is set to leave HPD after seven years. She will join Mountco Construction & Development Corporation as Assistant Vice President on July 31. While at HPD, Cha has closed numerous supportive housing and senior housing development deals, worked on advancing supportive housing policy and played a key planning role in HPD's recent initiative to double the production of supportive housing, announced at the Network's conference in June. Though we're certainly sad to see her leave HPD, we wish her all the best in her new position.   

  

BECKY KOEPNICK HAS JOINED
the staff at New York University's Furman Center for Real Estate & Urban Policy. Ms. Koepnick is the new Director of Furman's Moelis Institute for Affordable Housing Policy. Prior to her new post, she served as a Policy Advisor to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, where she developed policy, legislation and congressional strategy for multiple initiatives. We welcome Ms. Koepnick to her new home at the Furman Center.
  
 
DAVID BUCCIFERRO IS NOW A Special Advisor at Foothold Technology's Client Services Division. Mr. Bucciferro arrives at Foothold after more than 25 years at the NYS Office of Mental Health (OMH), most recently as Director of OMH's Rehabilitation Services Unit.