Safe and stable housing: the most critical need facing unsheltered New Yorkers

In the last two years, more than 80 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in New York City—many with untreated mental health needs—have successfully transitioned from living in public spaces directly into an apartment of their own through Street to Home, a pilot program launched by Volunteers of America-Greater New York (VOA-GNY) in partnership with the City of New York. Housing First programs like Street to Home prioritize safe and stable housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. After that most critical need is addressed, individuals can then focus on improving their physical and mental health, obtaining treatment for substance use disorders, or seeking employment. 

The Street to Home pilot demonstrated that New York can swiftly move people experiencing unsheltered homelessness into housing within one to two weeks of engaging them, without any preconditions. Many of the individuals who benefited from the pilot had untreated mental health needs and experienced significant trauma while living in public spaces, including harassment and violence. Once housed, our highly trained staff helped residents address the critical barriers to housing security that they previously faced, including access to health services, public benefits, and securing the basic documents they need to verify their identities.

The Housing First approach has already proven itself in New York as an effective solution for another daunting challenge: ending chronic veteran homelessness in the five boroughs. VOA-GNY was a founding member of the coalition that helped reduce veteran homelessness by 90% between 2011 and 2015, while veteran homelessness remained stubbornly high in other municipalities.

As New York State considers expanding laws that empower police and other first responders to commit individuals with behavioral health needs for involuntary treatment, it’s imperative to remember that these types of proposals don’t address the most critical need facing unsheltered New Yorkers: a lack of stable housing that allows them to focus on their health needs. Forcing someone with prior legal-system involvement to receive care due to their housing status will retraumatize rather than stabilize them, and still leaves them unsheltered after treatment is completed. Solutions like Street to Home offer a more compassionate and sustainable way forward.