Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced nearly $21.6 million has been awarded for eight supportive housing projects that will create a total of 265 units for homeless New Yorkers. The awards, made through the New York State's Homeless Housing and Assistance Program, will fund supportive housing projects in Suffolk and Oneida counties for homeless veterans and their families, as well as ones in New York City, Erie, Nassau and Oneida Counties for homeless individuals and families. All eight projects are part of Governor Cuomo's historic $10 billion commitment to building affordable housing and combating homelessness.

Mayors of the Cities of Buffalo (Byron W. Brown), Niagara Falls (Paul Dyster), Lockport (Anne McCaffrey) and Tonawanda (Rick Davis) are pleased to announce an effective end to Veteran homelessness in response to First Lady Michelle Obama’s call to action through the Mayors Challenge to End Veteran Homelessness in Western New York (WNY).

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today directed Robert Mujica, Director of the New York State Division of the Budget, to execute a memorandum of understanding to release $2 billion in funding to advance the creation of more than 100,000 units of affordable and supportive housing over the next five years. The executed agreement is now before the New York State Senate and Assembly for action.

The awards, made following a Request for Proposals issued in June, will support the ongoing service and operating expenses of supportive housing projects. This funding will be made available to supportive housing providers under five-year contracts which are renewable at the end of their term. New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance will work with supportive housing providers who have received these conditional contract awards to secure the capital funding needed to complete supportive housing projects. These awards represent a major step forward in the Governor’s unprecedented $2.6 billion, five-year plan to construct 6,000 new supportive housing units across New York State

Many of the state’s homeless shelters outside New York City are in substandard condition with numerous health and safety issues that need to be addressed immediately, according to a report on homelessness released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. DiNapoli called on state and local officials to improve coordination and respond quickly to improve homeless shelter conditions.

Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano announces that a Veterans Stand Down will be held on Tuesday, July 12, 2016 at American Legion, 160 Marvin Avenue in Hempstead. The Stand Down, from 10am – 2pm, is hosted by the Nassau County Veterans Service Agency (VSA) with assistance from volunteers representing all service organizations

To help end veteran homelessness, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding $2,547,492 to help 287 homeless veterans in New York find a permanent place to call home. The rental assistance announced today is provided through the HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program which combines rental assistance from HUD with case management and clinical services provided by VA. Cities receiving voucher funding include Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo and New York.

New York State announced the launch of Phase One of the Homelessness Action Plan, which is part of a multifaceted, focused and comprehensive package of initiatives involving multiple agencies. In his 2016 State of the State address, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo proposed a historic $10.4 billion commitment to combat homelessness statewide over the next five years, which includes $2.6 billion for new supportive housing units and $7.8 billion for continuing commitments in support of existing supportive housing units, shelter beds, and other homeless services.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Housing Committee Chair Keith L.T. Wright and Social Services Committee Chair Andrew Hevesi today announced the Assembly's SFY 2016-17 budget proposal that will help hardworking New Yorkers stay in their homes and help communities provide resources to prevent homelessness and support those living in or transitioning from homelessness.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced the initial financing for nearly 600 new affordable apartments across the city, paid for by $10 million in settlements with property owners who violated the law. The new homes will serve formerly homeless New Yorkers, low-income families, veterans, seniors and people with mental health and substance abuse challenges.

A state agency’s failure to adequately monitor and inspect homeless shelters allowed violations and squalid living conditions to go unchecked, according to an audit released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli.

Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer issued the following statement in response to remarks made by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tx.) to ABC News Monday evening "We are one city and one state. Our heritage is diversity and tolerance, and our values are community and fair play.

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) today announced that it is requiring New York City to take a series of actions to increase and ensure the safety of residents at the 53rd St. Men’s Shelter in Manhattan. This includes immediately increasing security and law enforcement presence at the facility, and conducting a thorough investigation, to be shared with the state, into whether the facility’s security protocols are inadequate, and what improvements are needed if so to protect the well-being of people residing in the shelter.

The New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) today announced the launch of an unprecedented effort to inspect emergency homeless shelters statewide. This effort is designed to ensure that shelters are safe, clean, supervised and well-maintained, as well as fully compliant with state and local laws and regulations, and will utilize audit reports and analysis produced by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, and Buffalo Comptroller Mark Schroeder.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today issued an Executive Order to protect homeless individuals from inclement winter weather where temperatures decline to 32 degrees or below. The order will ensure that homeless individuals are directed to shelter during inclement winter weather which can cause hypothermia, serious injury and death.

With cold weather entering the region, Nassau County Executive Edward P. Mangano reminds residents that Warm Bed, Nassau County’s Emergency Shelter Relief Program, is open to assist homeless individuals and families during the winter months. Yesterday, Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order that directs homeless individuals to shelter during inclement winter weather which can cause hypothermia, serious injury and death.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office announced today a review of all the city’s homeless service agencies. In response, the Coalition for the Homeless issued this statement from President & CEO Mary Brosnahan

The development will include five, two-story residential buildings with 48 apartments. A separate community building will house a maintenance garage, laundry room, and Veterans Administration service delivery office. Twenty-five units will be set aside for veterans eligible for benefits from the Canandaigua VA Medical Center who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and their dependents.

Therefore, Schumer is pushing to pass sweeping legislation that will encourage landlords to rent to veterans, modify the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) program that sells foreclosed homes to veterans, and deliver grants to organizations that support formerly homeless veterans, among many other initiatives aimed at ending veteran homelessness.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), and the Ali Forney Center (AFC) announced three new federal grants to help continue AFC’s important work serving homeless youth in New York City, an estimated 40% of which identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ). Combined, the more than $1 million in federal grants will provide critical resources to AFC, which works with LGBTQ homeless youth on a range of issues, including domestic and sexual violence, substance abuse treatment, and mental health services.

New York City’s Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen, New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Commissioner Gilbert Taylor, and New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC) President Gary Rodney join the Bowery Residents’ Committee (BRC) and partners to break ground at the Landing Road Residence. This development will be the first project created under Mayor de Blasio’s HomeStretch program to finance the new construction of a co-located permanent supportive affordable housing development and new homeless shelter.

New York City Comptroller Scott M. Stringer wrote an op-ed published today in the New York Daily Newson steps the City can take to help alleviate the homeless crisis in our City. Some of the main points from the op-ed are highlighted below

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced the launch of “NYC Safe.” In response, the Coalition for the Homeless issued this statement from President & CEO Mary Brosnahan: “This Administration – from the mayor, the first lady, and the deputy mayors on down – is coming from a completely different, much more informed and practical perspective than we’ve seen in the past 20 years. The mayor clearly recognizes the magnitude of the homeless crisis and

the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and two of its state partners, the New York State Tenants & Neighbors Information Service and the Supportive Housing Network of New YorkouH, released the findings of a state-wide public opinion poll that measured New York registered voter support for changing the mortgage interest deduction, addressing homelessness, and creating more affordable housing.