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Welcome to the January issue of the Network News, the Supportive Housing Network of New York's monthly e-newsletter. You'll find lead articles on the executive budget for SFY 2018; the outgoing and incoming HPD Commissioners; a Q & A with NY state government partners on the State's new supportive housing program; a guest post from Council Member Stephen Levin and more. Thanks for reading!
First Analysis of Governor's SFY 2017-18 Budget
Governor Cuomo released his SFY 2018 executive budget on January 17th which starts the clock ticking for budget season in Albany! Here is our first analysis of the SFY 2017-2018 budget areas important to the supportive housing community.

FIVE YEAR HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS PLAN
The executive budget includes a re-appropriation  of last year's $1.97 billion five year housing and homelessness plan with funding for 6,000 units of supportive housing and 50,000 units of affordable housing over five years. We will be entering year two of this commitment on April 1st. The language adds an additional $526 million bringing the total five year budget to $2.5 billion.  It also removes the requirement included in last year's budget that the executive and legislative leaders negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in order to spend the money.

    
Network Hosts Q & A with State Partners on ESSHI/SHOP/HHAP
Laura Mascuch, Marian Zucker, Moira Tashjian, Rick Umholtz, and Bret Garwood at the Network panel discussion.



On Tuesday, January 24th the Network hosted a panel discussion with our state government partners about the new ways New York State is implementing its supportive housing program through the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) and coordinating capital programs: NYS Homes & Community Renewal's Supportive Housing Opportunity Program (SHOP) and the Office of Temporary Disability & Assistance Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP). The event was held at JP Morgan Chase Bank in NYC and had over 100 Network members attend.
    
Guest Blog: What So Many Get Wrong about Homelessness 
A guest blog post from Stephen Levin, New York City Council
Member, and Chair of the General Welfare Committee.
 
New York City Council Member, and Chair of the General Welfare Committee, Stephen Levin at the hearing. 

"This doesn't just happen to those people," said Jennifer Garris. "Anyone can become homeless."

Ms. Garris has a Masters degree and was a special education teacher for 24 years. But after her husband passed away, she struggled with depression and alcohol use. Soon, she became homeless.

    
Is Selling Air Rights a Viable Option for Your Nonprofit?
Breaking Ground's Prince George supportive housing residence.
The NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development's (HPD) Inclusionary Housing Program (IHP) preserves affordable housing in neighborhoods where there have been zoning changes to encourage new development.

The IHP consists of two programs:
Voluntary Inclusionary Housing Program (VIHP), enacted in 1987, enables a development to receive a density bonus in return for new construction, substantial rehabilitation, or preservation of permanently affordable housing.

Mandatory Inclusionary Housing Program (MIHP), enacted in March 2016, requires a share of new housing in medium- and high-density areas that are rezoned to promote new housing production-whether rezoned as part of a city neighborhood plan or a private rezoning application-to be permanently affordable.    
     
Maria Torres-Springer Appointed as Commissioner of HPD
Maria Torres-Springer has been appointed by Mayor de Blasio to serve as the new HPD Commissioner. Ms. Torres-Springer comes to HPD after working on neighborhood planning and the development of public sites as President and CEO of the NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) since June 2015, and prior to that, leading the NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) as Commissioner.

In a statement, Ms. Torres-Springer said, "Having grown up in Section 8 housing, I know first-hand that the work we do is a lifeline to hundreds of thousands of families. Housing is the top expense for New Yorkers, and for far too many rising rents threaten their ability to stay in the city they love. I've spent my career helping people secure better jobs with better wages, and developing neighborhood projects that provide affordable homes and economic opportunity. Vicki leaves big shoes to fill, but I'm honored to have a chance to keep up the record-breaking progress she's achieved."
    
Vicki Been, Commissioner of HPD, Departs de Blasio Administration
Vicki Been, Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, will step down on January 31, 2017 to return to New York University as faculty director of the Furman Center.

Network Chair William Traylor said, "For all of her terrific quant and analytical skills, Vicki's greatest legacy will be reorienting HPD's focus to the impacts that affordable housing has on communities and within the lives of the families and individuals that call the housing and these communities home." Been was honored at the 2014 annual Network Awards Gala as our Government Partner of the Year.

    
In Prayer Vigil for Homeless New Yorkers Who Passed Away, Calls for MOU Action
Peter Cook, Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches, speaking to the press, flanked by Kevin O'Connor, Director of Joseph's House.
On December 21st, faith leaders held a prayer vigil outside the Senate chambers at the state capitol in Albany to honor the memories of homeless New Yorkers who died in 2016, part of National Homeless Persons' Memorial Day. Kevin O'Connor, Director of Joseph's House in Troy, read the names of homeless individuals who passed away over the past year. "The average life expectancy of a person who is homeless in America is 52 years of age," O'Conner said. "That's 26 years younger than those who are housed."
    
A Tribute to Gina Quattrochi
Gina Quattrochi, Bailey House CEO and lifelong HIV/AIDS advocate, passed away December 13, 2016 from complications due to cancer. During the 25 years she led Bailey House, Ms. Quattrochi played a key role in transforming the organization into an innovative leader in HIV/AIDS care and supportive housing.

Ms. Quattrochi became the Executive Director of the AIDS Resource Center in 1991, after serving six years on the Board, and in 1995 changed the name of the organization to Bailey House in honor of Bailey Holt House, the first supportive housing residence for people living with  HIV/AIDS created by the organization in 1986. Housing was Ms. Quattrochi's passion and her imprint was immeasurable. She was instrumental in working with the City to develop the funding streams for both scattered-site and congregate supportive housing and she helped garner the research irrevocably linking homelessness to the incidence of HIV infection. She was among the first to introduce the notion that housing is healthcare.
    
December HHAP Awards Announced
Governor Cuomo and the Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance announced  $14 million in Homeless Housing Assistance Program awards for six programs, including three new supportive housing projects.  Awards were made through the state's Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance's Homeless Housing Assistance Program (HHAP) to create a total of 110 supportive housing units.  Of those 110 units, 62 units have service and operating funding from the first round of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI).

 

NYS Receives $196 Million in HUD Continuum of Care Awards
On December 20, 2016, HUD announced the 2016 Continuum of Care (CoC) awards, both renewals and new awards. This returns the program to a regular grant cycle that allows projects that need to be renewed annually to have confidence that they will be funded before the calendar turns. 

New York State was awarded a total of $196 million, more than 10% of the national total of $1.95 billion, for 421 projects in 26 Continuua of Care. The overall dollar value of New York State awards is 7% below last year's total of $209 million.  The primary reason for this net loss is related to a larger amount of new bonus projects being funded: the past two rounds were multiple year awards, which are not yet up for renewal.
   
In This Issue
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Executive Director for Lifting Up Westchester

Associate Program Director for Henry Street Settlement

Employment and Education Specialist for Lantern Community Services  

Upcoming Events 

CUCS/Network Trainings

Please join us for an exciting new opportunity to participate in CUCS' Case Management Certificate Program, earning CE hours!

You can now register for the last two trainings of the series.

In the News 

Network Executive Director Laura Mascuch was quoted in "10 Housing Policies to Watch Under President Trump," in City Limits.

In The Albany Times-Union, Matt Hamilton reports that money remains blocked as impasse between Cuomo, lawmakers continues.

WSYR-TV (Syracuse) reports that central New York is receiving more than $10 million to end homelessness.

From Time Warner Cable News: Push for Affordable Housing Continues. 

Member News 

Breaking Ground's Boston Road residence is a finalist for the  Urban Land Institute of New York's Awards for Excellence in Development in the Housing Development category.
Comings and Goings          

HPD's  Jessica Katz has been promoted  to Associate Commissioner of New Construction. In her new role, Ms. Katz will oversee HPD's financing of the construction of new multifamily, single-family, supportive and mixed-use affordable housing through management of two divisions, New Construction Finance and Special Needs Housing. 
 
HPD's Kim Darga has been promoted to Associate Commissioner of Preservation, a role in which she will oversee HPD's financing of the preservation of multifamily, single-family, and mixed-use affordable housing through management of two divisions, Preservation Finance and Property Disposition & Finance. 
 
HPD also promoted Eunice Suh as the new Assistant Commissioner for Planning and Predevelopment. Ms. Suh served as the Director of Predevelopment Planning since 2013.  
 
Simon Kawitzky is HPD's new Assistant Commissioner for Ne ighborhood Development and Stabilization. Mr. Kawitzky created the Neighborhood Planning Playbook to serve as the agency's new framework for inclusive community engagement. 
 
Francesc Martí is HPD's new Assistant Commissioner for Governmental Relations.
Prior to joining HPD, Mr. Marti served as Finance Director for New York State Senate Coalition Co-Leader Jeff Klein and the Independent Democratic Conference. 
 
Wendy Brennan, formerly Executive Director of NAMI-NYC Metro, has joined the staff of New York State Senator Liz Krueger to cover senior issues. Ms. Brennan served as NAMI-NYC's Executive Director for 2 years and before that, as Director of NAMI's Mental Health Benefits Project for 11 years. NAMI-NYC Metro 
is one of the largest affiliates of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). 

Diane Louard-Michel is now Senior Director of Real Estate & Development for Unique People Services, prior to which she served over 20 years with the Corporation for Supportive Housing and was a lead advisor on NY/NY III.