Governor Kathy Hochul has announced $30 million in supportive housing funding.
The funding is being administered by the State Office of Mental Health and will provide conditional funding for services and operating expenses for up to 4,839 units of supportive housing.
Southern Tier Environments For Living, Inc., which has offices in Jamestown, has qualified for two awards.
Since its inception, the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative has provided operating funding for more than 8,400 units serving vulnerable populations.
This initiative provides operating funding for supportive service providers serving homeless veterans and their families; survivors of domestic and gender-based violence; older adults who are disabled or frail; 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.
The funding may be used for rental assistance and services to eligible target populations to ensure their housing stability.
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.
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