JAMESTOWN – The Young Women’s Christian Association of Jamestown, and Southern Tier Environments for Living, Inc. have been granted conditional awards for supportive housing for homeless people with special needs, conditions or other challenges, according to a release from the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The awards will provide support services and operating funds to 116 community partners in 43 counties across the State. This is the third phase of Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative awards, which is part of the state’s 5-year, $2.6 billion commitment to developing 6,000 units of supportive housing in New York State.
“The Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative is providing thousands of individuals with the stability and services they need to live productive lives,” Cuomo said. “This administration has made a historic commitment to ending homelessness and ensuring that even the most vulnerable New Yorkers have access to affordable housing, making communities across the state safer for all.”
A YWCA spokesperson was not available to comment this morning.
Awardees are eligible to receive up to $25,000 in services and operating funds for each new supportive housing unit. The awards will help applicants secure capital through New York State Homes and Community Renewal and the Homeless Housing Assistance Program to finance the development and construction of their supportive housing project.
In this third round of awards, applicants were instructed to demonstrate how their proposals would help specific populations, including homeless veterans and their families; victims of domestic violence; frail or disabled senior citizens; young adults with histories of incarceration, homelessness or foster care; chronically homeless individuals and families; individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities; and people living with HIV or AIDS, serious mental illness and/or substance use disorders.
The awards announced today may be used to provide rental assistance and services to eligible target populations to ensure their housing stability, including but not limited to: Primary and behavioral health services; Employment and vocational training and/or assistance; Educational assistance, including GED support; Parenting skills development and support; Child care assistance; Counseling and crisis intervention; Children’s services, including educational advocacy, support and counseling; and Services or staff to identify and locate eligible individuals that need housing.