November 17, 2005
NYCWatch: BILLION-DOLLAR PLAN
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HOMES: 9,000 more for homeless NYCers |
Following up on a long-standing pledge from newly reelected Mayor Mike Bloomberg to end homelessness in New York City, city and state officials last week announced a plan to sink $1 billion over the next ten years into 9,000 new units of housing for Gotham's homeless (with an additional 3,000 produced by the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development), the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) reported. The plan, NY/NY III, follows two similar rounds of money and development, though this time around, it includes housing for homeless people with special needs, including those with HIV/AIDS.
The plan is being applauded by AIDS housing advocates, including Jennifer Flynn of New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN). "It's a good thing that took a long time to get," she says, noting that the new units will lessen New York City's current homeless population of 36,000 on any given night, not including 3,000 homeless New Yorkers living with AIDS. (And that figure, notes Flynn, doesn't even include the so-called "street homeless" who never enter the shelter system, or homeless folks with HIV/AIDS who live in SRO hotels or other rentals that, by law, are paid for by the city.)
On a side note, the USICH announced the $1B plan roughly the same week that the Beltway must-read National Journal ran this story in which the USICH is roundly criticized as an empty entity that does little more than coax cities and states to unveil plans such as NYC's—but has no control over anti-homelessness funding. The story even quotes savvy Hill player Robert Cordero, HW's director of federal advocacy, who says: "[Housing Works] supports the dissolution of the council, because it really doesn't have teeth." Oh, no, he didn't!
HOUSING NOTES
In other NYC housing news, the good folks at NYCAHN invite all HASA clients to a FREE Thanksgiving buffet next Tuesday from 3-5pm. (NYCAHN is at 80A 4 th Ave in Brooklyn between St. Mark's and Bergen Sts. Take the 2/3/4/5/Q/B/D/M/N or R to Atlantic or Pacific.) But be warned...you will not only stuff your face with stuffing, you will also report your praise and beefs as a HASA client to NYCAHN's Shirlene Cooper, who, as a member of the city's HASA Advisory Committee, is charged with bringing a survey back to the committee. Want more info? Contact Cooper at cooper@nycahn.org or 877.615.2217.
And on November 30 at 6:30pm, Housing Here and Now, a city coalition including NYCAHN, will hold a forum featuring candidates to succeed Gifford Miller as speaker of the City Council, NYC's most powerful job after the mayor's seat. Candidates will be grilled on five key housing points, including housing for NYCers with HIV/AIDS. Granted, the only candidates left by November 30 may be Christine Quinn and Bill DeBlasio, which could make for an interesting face off. So come check it out at Washington Irvine High School (in Manhattan), 40 Irving Place off 16 th St near Union Square. There's wheelchair access—and NYCAHN will offer subway reimbursement for low-income people with HIV/AIDS.