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POLICY MATTERS
A monthly update on policy issues in the fight against homelessness in NYC
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RSVP for the 2024 Homeless Persons' Memorial Day Observance
Please join us to honor the lives of individuals who passed away while unstably housed, or due to the stressors of homelessness, this year in New York City while recommitting ourselves to the fight to end homelessness.
The observance will take place on Wednesday, December 18th, 2024 at Congregation Rodeph Sholom, Schafler Forum, 7 W 83rd St, New York, NY 10024. The program will start at 5:30 PM. A meal will be served at 4:30 p.m.
If you would like to submit any names to include in the memorial, please add them to the registration link below or email to policy@cfhnyc.org. Also, if you would like to respond to our call for a poem or short story please find the information here. We will be selecting two submissions to include in the program.
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2024 Fall Policy Seminar Overview | | |
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Last month, CFH hosted their Fall Policy Seminar, “National vs. Local Homelessness Policy: Who Sets the Priorities, Who Provides the Services”. Our two-part discussion highlighted the necessity of aligning federal and local partnerships to implement evidence-based solutions to address homelessness. | | |
These are some key topics discussed: | |
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Collaboration Between Local and Federal Government
Our panelists emphasized the bidirectional relationship between the local and federal government. The federal government provides funding for programs that are implemented locally to address the unique needs of each community. While it’s important for local partners to understand the federal resources available, successful local programs also offer valuable lessons for federal policy and funding decisions. Many of the most effective homelessness reduction programs, such as supportive housing, rapid rehousing, street medicine, and outreach, were developed locally before being incorporated into the national strategy. Both levels of government depend on each other to create and implement these solutions.
Innovation in Homelessness Response Systems
Flexibility in funding is key to enabling localities to innovate in their approaches to homelessness. Innovation is crucial in homelessness response systems because it leads to more effective, sustainable, and comprehensive solutions to this complex and growing issue. It improves efficiency, addresses root causes, utilizes technology, and adapts to the evolving nature of homelessness. A prime example of this flexibility is the use of Medicaid dollars to support social care needs, such as housing and wraparound services, which helps address the multifaceted aspects of homelessness.
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Scaling Successful Interventions
Both panels stressed the importance of learning from and expanding successful programs that have reduced homelessness. A notable example is the recent success in reducing veteran homelessness, which provides a model for addressing homelessness among the broader population. The panelists highlighted that the success of this initiative was driven by strong political will to provide the necessary support to provide pathways to stable housing, along with a coordinated response from federal agencies. This effort's success is largely due to unprecedented cooperation across all levels of government, ensuring that resources were effectively focused on this specific group. As a result, veteran homelessness in NYC has decreased by 90%.
The Next Four Years
The panels discussed the future of homelessness policy under the new administration, stressing the importance of protecting the investments made so far to address homelessness nationwide. They emphasized the need to continue using evidence-based practices to further efforts to end homelessness. The panels also highlighted potential changes to policies that could limit access to health care or public assistance programs, which we need to be mindful of. The federal government has a long history of bipartisan collaboration to address the homelessness crisis. To keep making progress, it’s crucial to rely on proven programs and maintain a focus on practical, actionable solutions.
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A recording of this seminar will be available on our website. If you would like to view any of our past seminars you can visit our website here. | | |
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Homelessness within our Public Schools
A new report from Advocates for Children of New York highlights the devastating impact that rising homelessness has had on school-age children. The report found that over 146,000 public school children lacked a permanent home during the 2022–2023 school year. This means that 1 in every 8 young people in New York City’s public school system was unstably housed.
Although part of this increase is attributed to the influx of new arrivals in New York, student homelessness has long been a persistent challenge for the city’s public schools. Students facing homelessness, particularly those living in shelters, encounter significant obstacles, including:
- Chronic absenteeism (missing at least 10% of school days)
- Lower English Language Arts (ELA) proficiency rates
- A dropout rate three times higher than that of their permanently housed peers.
As a city it is critical to understand, support, and advocate for unhoused students to help them complete their academic journey. People experiencing homelessness face unique barriers that make attending school, keeping up with coursework, and graduating especially challenging.
Advocates for Children of New York argue that the growing number of students experiencing homelessness demands a reconfiguration of the New York State Foundation Aid Formula to bring in much needed resources. The current per-pupil funding formula does not account for the specific needs of the 146,000+ unhoused students in the New York City public school system.
Read the entire issue brief here.
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Demand Fair Funding for NY Public Schools
Support Advocates for Children of New York in their fight to ensure fair funding for students experiencing homelessness. Over 146,000 children in NYC public schools lack stable housing, yet the current funding formula fails to address their unique needs. For the first time in 17 years, New York State leaders are reexamining how education funding is distributed to school districts.
Take action now to ensure every child has the support they need to succeed, no matter their housing situation.
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Veteran Homelessness Drops to Lowest on Record
In November, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH), the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that veteran homelessness has dropped to its lowest level on record. This milestone follows the VA’s recent announcement that it permanently housed nearly 48,000 veterans in the past year. During Fiscal Year 2024, nearly 90,000 veterans were housed using vouchers through the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program.
The success of this program serves as a model for government initiatives addressing homelessness more broadly. The article highlights specific measures implemented by HUD, USICH, and the VA to effectively house veterans experiencing homelessness. These changes include:
- Raising the eligibility threshold to include more veterans in need
- Streamlining eligibility processes for faster determinations
- Clarifying income qualifications through updated guidance
- Hosting “boot camps” to train local partners, public housing authorities, and VA Medical Centers to improve operational efficiency.
These targeted adjustments to eligibility, training, and operational processes significantly contributed to reducing veteran homelessness. They also offer a potential roadmap for expanding similar programs to address homelessness among other populations. Read the entire report here.
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Support Care For the Homeless' Policy and Advocacy Work!
Would you like to support the CFH Policy & Advocacy activities? Please consider making a donation to CFH to ensure we remain at the forefront of the homelessness, health care and housing policy conversations and decisions by choosing “Strengthening Policy & Advocacy Work” on our donation form.
And DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT! Our Board of Directors and corporate partner, Rockabill Consulting and Prospect Housing Partners, will match all first-time gifts from November 1st through December 31st. Please consider making a gift today!
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The Busy Advocate's December Calendar
Thurs., Dec. 5th, 1:30 p.m., New York City Council Stated Meeting. View here.
Thurs., Dec. 12th, 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m., U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness and Kaiser Permanente: How Health Systems and Hospitals Can Help Solve Homelessness. Register here.
Weds., Dec. 18th, 4:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Care For the Homeless and Urban Pathways: Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day Observance. Register here.
Thurs., Dec. 19th, 1:30 p.m., New York City Council Stated Meeting. View here.
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A monthly update on policy issues in the fight
against homelessness in NYC.
Thank you for your generous support of our mission.
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