Page 14 - The Indian EYE 010325

North The Indian Eye

AMERICANNewsline

14 JANUARY 03, 2025

NYC Mayor Adams Celebrates Opening

of Deeply Affordable Housing Site

More Homeless New Yorkers Connected to Subsidized Permanent Housing

Than Any Year in Recent History

OUR BUREAU signature “Ready, Willing, and Able”
program has helped countless New
New York, NY
Yorkers break the cycle of home-
ew York City Mayor Eric lessness, with a specific focus on
Adams and New York City providing employment supports for
NDepartment of Social Ser- justice-involved individuals and New
vices (DSS) Commissioner Molly Yorkers struggling with substance
Wasow Park this week celebrated use challenges. DSS has finalized
the opening of a new Affordable or opened AHS sites with various
Housing Services (AHS) site in not-for-profit providers, including
the Bronx, marking the creation of Riseboro, the Fortune Society, Com-
nearly 400 high-quality, deeply af- munity Housing Innovation, VIP
fordable homes for New Yorkers in Community Services, and Services
shelter through the ground-breaking for the Underserved.
AHS initiative in 2024. The opening There are more than 9,000
is the latest achievement in the Ad- households holding CityFHEPS
ams administration’s efforts to get vouchers currently in the city’s shel-
New Yorkers off of the streets, out ter system that are unable to find
of shelters, and into permanent, af- housing due to the city’s severe hous-
fordable homes. In Fiscal Year 2024 able New York City, and the open- ward to bringing those homes online ing shortage. AHS created a newer,
(FY24), DSS helped a record more ing of these new homes shows how and providing a brighter future for much needed, and scalable pathway
than 18,500 households move out of quickly we can make change when New Yorkers in need.” out of shelter. Through the program,
shelters and into stable homes — 24 we work together.” The 63-unit building is the latest the city helps nonprofits purchase or
percent more than the year before. “A robust shelter system is neces- site to open as part of the Adams enter long-term, building-wide leas-
Further, a record number of New sary for supporting New Yorkers in administration’s push to fast-track es to create deeply affordable hous-
Yorkers used City Fighting Home- crisis, but it’s no substitute for per- the creation of nearly 900 deeply af- ing with 30-year contracts leveraging
lessness and Eviction Prevention manent housing and all the stability fordable homes, which have already social services dollars — locking in
Supplement (CityFHEPS) vouchers and opportunity that comes with a been awarded as part of the AHS long-term affordability with strong
to obtain permanent housing or stay proper home,” said DSS Commis- pipeline. With nearly 400 units now tenant protections for CityFHEPS
in their homes. sioner Wasow Park. “We have been open, DSS is working to expedite voucher holders. Many of the pro-
“A home is more than just a laser-focused on expediting and the opening of another 500 deeply gram’s remaining apartments are
place for a family to rest their heads expanding pathways to housing for affordable homes for New Yorkers scheduled to become available for
at night — it’s the skeleton key to New Yorkers in need, and the results in the shelter system with rental as- lease through February 2025, which
unlocking the American Dream of speak for themselves: We’ve moved sistance program CityFHEPS vouch- will mark the one-year anniversary
stable, secure housing and a path- a record number of households from ers. DSS continues to develop the of this innovative housing program
way to the middle class. With today’s shelter to permanent housing in AHS pipeline, working with various for CityFHEPS voucher holders in
announcement, we are taking un- back-to-back fiscal years. But with not-for-profit providers to identify shelter.
housed New Yorkers from the streets a citywide housing vacancy rate of new, high-quality proposals as the This announcement builds on
and shelters and placing them into just 1.4 percent, building on this in- city looks to build on this year’s re- the Adams administration’s historic
stable housing, bringing them one credible progress requires innovative cord-breaking progress connecting efforts in combatting the city’s hous-
step closer to turning that American approaches to housing, and our Af- New Yorkers in shelter to permanent ing crisis. Earlier this month, May-
Dream into a reality,” said Mayor fordable Housing Services initiative subsidized housing. or Adams celebrated the approval
Adams. “With the opening of this represents just that. Through this The AHS site will be operated of his administration’s “City of Yes
new building, our administration is initiative, DSS has created nearly 400 by not-for-profit human services for Housing Opportunity,” the most
continuing to deliver on our promise units of deeply affordable housing for provider The Doe Fund, which has pro-housing zoning proposal in New
to quickly build high-quality, afford- New Yorkers in shelter, including this four decades of experience help- York City history, which will enable
able housing in parts of New York amazing 63-unit project developed in ing vulnerable New Yorkers facing the creation of 80,000 new homes
City where people need it the most. partnership with The Doe Fund. We compounding challenges and unique over the next 15 years and invest $5
Affordable housing remains the have hundreds of additional units in barriers to obtaining long-term billion towards critical infrastructure
foundation of a safer, more afford- our pipeline and very much look for- housing stability. The organization’s updates and housing.

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