New York Nonprofit Press
The NYS Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) awarded $1.75 million in grants to five New York City nonprofits to provide permanent supportive housing for homeless families struggling with addiction to drugs or alcohol.
“Permanent supportive housing programs are essential to breaking the cycle of homelessness for New York’s most vulnerable individuals and families,” said Governor Andrew Cuomo in making the announcement. “These programs provide the vital support services necessary to help families maintain physical and emotional health, sustain healthy relationships, and generally improve the overall quality of their lives.”
The five agencies identified to receive awards — and the number of units they are being allocated — include the following:
- Fortune Society, Queens, 15 units;
- Project Hospitality, Staten Island, 15 units;
- Samaritan Village, Bronx, 15 units;
- Odyssey House, Brooklyn, 15 units; and
- Women In Need, Bronx, 10 units.
The first priority for this program is families living in the NYC Department of Homeless Services shelter system. Families living in other transitional housing settings are also considered to be a priority population, including the families of women who are scheduled to complete their course of treatment at an OASAS-certified intensive residential facility designed to serve women and their children.
These awards mark the third round of permanent supportive housing grants for families, a component of the New York/New York III (NY/NY III) housing program, which includes rental subsidies, intensive case management services, job development and employment counseling services, and clinical supervision of the direct service staff. The rental subsidies are based on HUD Fair Market Rental rates for one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments.
“Addiction to drugs and alcohol is a major cause of homelessness,” said OASAS Commissioner Arlene González-Sánchez. “It’s a vicious circle; the longer people and families remain homeless, the more severe their addiction generally becomes. Safe, affordable housing and stable living-wage employment are fundamental to successful long-term recovery.”
“As we help people to reenter society after incarceration, we have learned that safe, stable supportive housing makes a life-changing difference to people who are struggling to recover from addiction and prevent recidivism,” said JoAnne Page, Fortune Society, Inc. President and CEO.
“Staten Island is desperately in need of additional affordable housing units post Sandy, and the stress of our borough post Sandy has led to acute alcohol and drug problems that have plagued our families,” said Reverend Terry Troia, Executive Director of Project Hospitality. “This supportive housing opportunity will mean critical and life sustaining housing and support for those very Staten Islanders in need.”
“We are grateful to Governor Cuomo and OASAS Commissioner González-Sánchez for their leadership and commitment to expanding permanent supportive housing options through the State’s Medicaid Redesign process,” said Tino Hernandez, Samaritan Village President and CEO.
“A safe and secure place to live is essential for families in recovery from substance use disorders,” said Peter Provet, Ph.D., President and CEO of Odyssey House. “We are honored to work with OASAS on developing housing services for people who, with minimal support, can build on the relapse prevention strategies and behavioral changes they learned in treatment.”
“Women In Need (WIN) is honored to have been selected to provide an additional 15 units of supportive housing for families in the Bronx,” said Bonnie Stone, President and CEO of Women In Need.