Governor Hochul Announces 125 Awards to Provide Operating Funding for up to 5,000 Supportive Housing Units Statewide

 

Awards Support Governor Hochul's Historic $25 Billion, Five-Year Plan to Build or Preserve 10,000 Units of Supportive Housing

 Governor Kathy Hochul today announced 125 conditional awards for annual funding to provide services and operating expenses for up to 5,000 units of supportive housing to serve older adults, survivors of domestic and gender-based violence, veterans and chronically homeless families as well as individuals with a mental illness or substance use disorder, among others. The 125 conditional awards through the seventh round of the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative will fund supportive housing in 35 counties and allow recipients to secure separate capital funding to finance housing projects.

"All New Yorkers should have a safe, affordable place to call home, especially the most vulnerable among us," Governor Hochul said. "The Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative continues to be a critical component in our efforts to address the root causes of housing instability and providing those who experience homelessness with the services they can rely on to live safely in independent settings."

The conditional awards for services and operating expenses are contingent on a project securing the means for new construction, the adaptive reuse of non-residential property, or the rehabilitation of unregulated residential property to create integrated affordable supportive housing. The first projects to meet the capital conditions of their award are expected to result in as many as 1,400 new supportive housing units this year, generating as much as $30 million in operating awards.

The conditional awards will be used to provide rental assistance and services to eligible target populations to ensure their housing stability. Since its inception, the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative has provided operating funding for more than 7,400 units serving vulnerable populations.

The initiative provides operating funding for supportive service providers serving homeless veterans and their families; survivors of domestic and gender-based violence; seniors or frail elderly; young adults with a history of incarceration, homelessness, or foster care; chronically homeless individuals and families; individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities; individuals reentering the community from prison; and those living with HIV or AIDS, serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders. The state Office of Mental Health serves as the lead procurement agency for the funding, which is dispersed by an interagency workgroup of eight state agencies serving vulnerable New Yorkers

Funding awarded through the initiative may be used for rental assistance and services to eligible target populations to ensure their housing stability. Permissible uses include rental subsidies and other occupancy costs; services or staff to identify and locate eligible individuals that need housing; primary and behavioral health services; employment and vocational training; educational assistance, parenting skills development and support; child care assistance counseling and crisis intervention; children's services, including educational advocacy, support and counseling; and costs associated with services that help individuals and families remain stably housed.

Research has shown that permanent supportive housing reduces the demand for shelters, hospital beds, emergency rooms, prisons, and jails, in addition to having a positive effect on employment, school attendance, and mental and physical wellbeing. Supportive housing projects can also positively impact neighborhoods through new construction or by rehabilitating existing buildings.

Projects may receive up to $25,000 per unit per year for service and operating funding needed to operate permanent supportive housing units. Recipients are expected to secure separate capital funding to finance the development and construction of their housing project.

The Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative is an important component of Governor Hochul's bold statewide plan to make housing more affordable, equitable, and stable. In this year's State Budget, Governor Hochul secured a new $25 billion, five-year, comprehensive housing plan that will increase the housing supply by creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes across New York, including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations.