News
Home Stability Report Addresses Homeless Crisis
- By: NYSAC
- On: 11/22/2016 10:43:03
- In: County Perspective
Home Stability Support (HSS) is an innovative new proposal to address New York's growing homeless crisis. With more than 150,000 homeless children and another 80,000 families on the brink of homelessness statewide, we need a socially and fiscally-responsible approach that reduces public assistance costs while keeping more families in their homes. To do this, HSS would create a new statewide rental supplement for public assistance-eligible families and individuals facing eviction, homelessness, or loss of housing due to domestic violence or hazardous living conditions. This supplement would bridge the gap between the current shelter allowance and the 85% of fair market value as determined by HUD. Under the state's current programs, we pay three times the proposed cost of HSS, all the while seeing homelessness rates continue to grow. Ever since the 2011-2012 State Budget lowered Albany's share of public assistance costs, this burden has fallen largely on counties, increasing property taxes on homeowners and small businesses in the process. HSS would help to change this, and that's why we invite you to join our growing coalition and urge the state to include HSS in the next budget.