ESSHI 5th Year Conditional Awards Announced
The Governor released the 5th year of conditional Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) awards on January 29th. 179 projects received conditional awards for service and operating funding, 150 of which are proposed by Network members. A portion of these projects – at least 1,200 units in total – will move into the permanent pipeline.
HHAP Awards Announced
The Homeless Housing Assistance Corporation approved a record number of HHAP-funded projects February 3rd including over $90 million for twenty projects with 629 units of supportive housing. The increase was primarily attributable to the state’s doubling HHAP funding last year. 
The Network Testifies at Joint Legislative Budget Hearing
The Network’s Executive Director, Laura Mascuch, testified in support of the Governor’s proposal to fund year 6 of the Governor’s 15 year/20,000 unit commitment at the New York State Senate and Assembly Joint Legislative Budget Hearing on February 2nd.
Notes from the Field: Vaccinations
The Network recently caught up with three providers – West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, Concern for Independent Living, and The Fortune Society – to gauge how vaccination roll out was going and what creative solutions they found to address barriers like vaccine hesitancy, mobility and transportation issues, and vaccine access.
Remembering George McDonald
Last month, the supportive housing community lost George McDonald, founder and longtime president of The Doe Fund. We have included some thoughts from his colleagues at The Doe Fund on our blog. Our thoughts are with his friends and family in this difficult time.
February Community Corner
Historical racist land use planning in the United States has contributed to persistent residential segregation and ensuring inequity in the communities in which Black and Brown people live. The racist roots of zoning practices began in the late 1800s in which the earliest goals of land use regulation were to explicitly accomplish racial segregation via zoning ordinances. Racist land use policies remain today in the form of the exclusion and restriction of certain uses and density regulations. The podcast from Code Switch titled “Location! Location! Location!” provides an overview of how residential segregation is still shaping how we live.  
 
Introduction to COVID-19 Vaccines
The Network, in partnership with NYC DOHMH presented two “Introduction to COVID-19 Vaccines” workshops this month. Dr. William Fisher, Deputy Director for Vaccine Coordination, covered vaccine basics, equity, distribution, and answered audience questions. See a recording here. Please note that the information is current as of Friday, February 5, 2021. Request a speaker from DOHMH to field questions at a staff meeting at your agency here. 
COVID-19 Updates on the Network’s Website
The Network is regularly updating the COVID-19 page on our website with the most recent information regarding vaccines, guidance, and other resources.
Press from the Campaign
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