Deputy Regional Administrator Talks Solutions for Homelessness

Deputy Regional Administrator Mirza Orriols speaks on a panel about providing housing for homeless and low income New Yorkers at Long Island University

With over 70,000 New Yorkers identified as homeless within the five boroughs according to HUD's 2016 Point-in-Time Survey, homelessness is a pressing local concern. HUD is committed to using federal dollars as efficiently as possible in the fight against homelessness, so Deputy Regional Administrator Mirza Orriols was pleased to speak on a panel discussion sponsored by Care for the Homeless and Long Island University Brooklyn about Preventing and Ending Homelessness in New York City. The panel featured partners including Jessica Yager from New York University's Furman Center (http://furmancenter.org/), who talked about the Center's recent State of the City Report (http://furmancenter.org/thestoop/entry/the-state-of-new-york-citys-housing-and-neighborhoods-in-2016) showing increases in concentrated poverty, Edline Jaquet of the Supportive Housing Network of New York (https://shnny.org/) who discussed City and State plans to construct 35,000 units of supportive housing, and Matt Dunbar of Habitat for Humanity NYC (https://habitatnyc.org/), who aptly highlighted the role of homeownership in the affordable housing ecosystem during homeownership month.

DRA Orriols discussed the ways HUD funding currently helps prevent and end homelessness in New York, from the 675,000 New Yorkers who receive federal rent subsidies through NYCHA or HPD with average household income of just over $20,000, to the tens of thousands who benefit from over $120 million in annual funding for emergency shelter and supportive housing.

DRA Orriols also focused on the preservation of affordable housing through HUD's Rental Assistance Demonstration, a powerful tool that has preserved over 10,000 units of public housing statewide, as well as nearly 10,000 units of multifamily housing. A final highlight of the presentation was the role of collaboration across all levels of government, and with the private and nonprofit sectors. HUD works with a network of dozens of federal, state, and city agencies to combat homelessness holistically and efficiently. To learn more, visit hud.gov/homeless.

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