Page 28 - The Indian EYE 042624

NORTH AMERICAN Newsline APRIL 26, 2024 | The Indian Eye 28

NYC Mayor Launches Pilot to Rapidly

Connect Families Fleeing Domestic

Violence with Permanent Housing

Mayor Adams Also Expands Eligibility for Supportive and Affordable Housing

to Include Survivors of Domestic Violence

OUR BUREAU
NEW YORK, NY

ew York City Mayor Eric Adams and New
York City Department of Social Services
N(DSS) Commissioner Molly Wasow Park
have announced “Project Home,” a pilot program
to provide intensive, specialized housing search
assistance to domestic violence survivors with
children living in city shelters. Beginning with 100
families, Project Home will help domestic violence
survivors find safe, permanent homes and reduce
the amount of time spent in shelter. Launched in
partnership with New Destiny Housing — a non-
profit that provides housing and services to domes-
tic violence survivors and their families — the pilot
is funded with a $300,000 grant from the NYC Fund
to End Youth & Family Homelessness. Mayor Ad-
ams also today announced expansions to eligibility
for supportive and affordable housing units for sur-
vivors of domestic violence, minimizing the amount
of time survivors spend in shelter and significantly
increasing the permanent housing options available
to them. These eligibility expansions undo unneces- violence, shortening the steps needed to secure a shelters will be randomly selected from the pool of
sary bureaucratic rules that have historically made safe, stable home is critical,” said Deputy Mayor for eligible households, comprised of those in shelters
domestic violence survivors ineligible for New York Health and Human Services Anne Williams-Isom. as a result of domestic violence. The participating
City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene “This new pilot will provide specialized support to families will be directly connected to a specialized
(DOHMH) supportive housing or New York City those families and lessen the time spent in shel- housing navigator — trained in the challenging dy-
Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) af- ter before moving to permanent housing. As we namics of domestic violence as well as affordable
fordable housing and expands the pool of homes continue to fight for a world free from domestic housing — who will work closely with each partici-
available to this vulnerable population. violence, we are taking action to support survivors pating family to quickly secure permanent housing.
“Everyone deserves to be safe in their rela- today.” They will identify appropriate apartments from
tionships and live a life free of domestic and gen- “We know that domestic violence is a prima- trusted landlords, advocate on behalf of the family
der-based violence,” said Mayor Adams. “But for ry driver of homelessness in New York City, and with landlords and brokers, and assist with appli-
too many New Yorkers, home is no longer safe we recognize the critical importance of not only cations, with the goal of minimizing the amount of
and, too often, domestic violence survivors end up minimizing the amount of time survivors spend in time each family spends in shelter.
in shelters as they are forced to leave their homes. temporary housing but ensuring that they are posi- To ensure families remain stably housed for
Today, we are giving survivors hope with Project tioned for long-term stability,” said DSS Commis- the long term, this pilot will include an aftercare
Home, a pilot program to provide housing assis- sioner Park. “With Project Home, we are proud to coordinator to provide light-touch services after
tance to domestic violence survivors living in shel- partner with New Destiny Housing to test a new families move out of shelter. These light-touch
ter. We’re also announcing expanded eligibility for approach to connecting survivors in city shelters services will include financial coaching; connecting
supportive and affordable housing for survivors, to the support they need to effectively navigate families to new doctors, schools, childcare, and oth-
helping families move into permanent housing the housing process and acclimate to their new er resources in their new neighborhood; and link-
faster. This announcement builds on our work home as they continue to heal and recover. By ing families to counseling to help survivors recover
to deliver a safer city for all New Yorkers, espe- concurrently working to expand access to support- from the traumas of homelessness and domestic
cially domestic violence survivors, and is another ive housing and affordable units for survivors, we abuse. The aftercare coordinator will also assist
commitment delivered from part of our ‘Women are also increasing the stock of housing available families in obtaining or maintaining government
Forward NYC’ initiative — a more than $43 mil- to them which will further expedite connections to benefits. Aftercare services will be available to fam-
lion investment that addresses the needs of women safe and affordable permanent housing.” ilies for up to one year after they move into their
across the five boroughs.” One hundred families staying in New York new home and are supported by a grant from The
“For families that have experienced domestic City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust.

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