Posted on February 2, 2016 by Jacquelyn Simone The key to ending homelessness is housing – and at a time when tens of thousands of people are bedding down in shelters and on the streets, it is critical that leaders embrace proven, housing-based solutions. Mary Brosnahan, the Coalition’s President and CEO, spoke with Sheryl McCarthy on CUNY TV’s One to One program about the roots of modern mass homelessness and strategies to end the crisis. For homeless men and women struggling with mental illness or other special needs, research has conclusively shown supportive housing to be the best way to break the cycle of chronic homelessness. Fortunately, both Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo have committed to a record number of supportive units to help address the unprecedented suffering on our streets. However, they must still officially sign a fourth New York/New York agreement to enable providers to finance these life-saving supportive housing projects. As Mary explained: “We had three different New York/New York agreements that in total created 25,000 units of housing for homeless people with severe and persistent mental illness. And so what has played out in the last few months, we’ve seen Mayor de Blasio put forth a commitment for 15,000 units and then the Governor do likewise. What we need them to do now is come together and actually confirm that they’re going to work in tandem for this type of New York/New York housing. … I say it again and again: If you want homeless people to go somewhere, give them someplace to go to. New York/New York housing, which is supportive housing – housing with on-site support services – not only brings people in but keeps them in off the streets. That has been the key difference as to when we saw that downshift in the number of people on the street.” Supportive housing is able to transform the lives of the most vulnerable individuals and families by offering them the stability of a permanent home along with robust services. Managing severe mental illness or overcoming substance addiction is often an insurmountable challenge when living on the streets or in crowded shelters, but having the security and dignity of a home enables these men and women to thrive. “The key to this is it’s a place where people can go, it’s got a door that locks behind them – it’s what you and I want tonight when we go home. But if somebody gets in trouble or stops taking their medication or for whatever reason starts to decompensate, that social worker and the other people living there can recognize those symptoms and intervene, get that person the help they need. If they need to be hospitalized, that unit will be waiting for them when they’re discharged. So they’re not just at the whim of the private market – that place will be there for them. And that’s the key. We see that there’s virtually no … return to shelter for people that have been placed in this type of supportive housing.” Watch the full episode of One to One here.
