HUD AWARDS $42.4 MILLION FOR LOCAL HOMELESS PROGRAMS IN NEW YORK
NYC receives biggest increase nationwide; NYS is second only to California in overall award amount

NEW YORK - Today, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro awarded $42.4 million to 85 local homeless housing and service programs across New York State. At a time when homelessness is one of the highest priorities for local and state leaders, New York ranked second nationally after the competitive round of funding, with a $17 million increase over 2014. New York City saw the greatest increase of any applicant nationwide, and consortiums of homeless service providers in Western New York and Westchester County ranked in the top 40, with increases of over $1 million from last year.

Continuum of Care (CoC) grants support the Obama Administration's efforts to end homelessness and build upon the $166 million in funding HUD awarded throughout New York through a first round of funding in March. Today's announcement brings the total awarded in New York to over $205 million. View a complete list of all the state and local homeless projects awarded funding.

"We know how to end homelessness and these grants support local programs that are proven to prevent and end homelessness as we've come to know it," said Secretary Castro. "As we continue to make progress toward ending homelessness in this country, HUD is challenging communities to use more cost effective solutions to help those experiencing homelessness."

"New York's tremendous success in securing this funding is testament to the national leadership Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio have shown in reducing homelessness," said Holly Leicht, HUD Regional Administrator for New York and New Jersey. "Through programs based on data-driven best practices and backed by historic funding commitments at all levels of government, HUD and our partners are poised to replicate the success we've had nationwide in housing veterans, by targeting other vulnerable populations like youth and families."

The competition to award FY 2015 CoC grants was the most competitive ever, both locally and nationally. This is consistent with HUD's policy goals as well as Congressional direction to stringently review performance, increase competition for CoCs, and not simply fund renewals in the FY 2015 CoC competition.

HUD strongly encouraged local applicants to prioritize their funding request very carefully, using a mix of performance data and local needs. In addition, applicants were encouraged to submit projects that were based on research-driven approaches and supported the nation's goals to prevent and end homelessness. As a result, local CoCs eliminated a combined $124 million in renewal funding from lower performing projects in order to apply for new housing projects. These new projects will provide permanent supportive housing and rapid re-housing solutions for those experiencing homelessness.

Ultimately, the awards made today, and those awarded in March, will help achieve the bold goals established in 2010 by President Obama and 19 federal agencies and offices that form the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) in the nation's first-ever comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness, Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness (www.usich.gov/opening_doors/). This means continuing the progress made in reducing the number of people experiencing homelessness and setting a path to ending homelessness in this country. HUD estimates there were 564,708 persons experiencing homelessness on a single night in 2015. Since 2010, local communities around the country reported an 11 percent reduction in overall homelessness, a decline of more than 72,000 persons. During that same time, veteran homelessness fell by 36 percent; chronic homelessness declined 22 percent; and family homelessness declined by 19 percent.

New York is a national leader in housing homeless Veterans, with a 58.4 percent decrease since 2011, trailing only Louisiana. That success reflects extraordinary results in the New York Metropolitan Area: over 3,100 veterans have been housed in New York City alone over the last four years, driving a 63.4 percent decline in homeless Veterans in New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Rockland Counties. Overall homelessness numbers in New York illustrate the extreme affordability crisis and importance of recent commitments by Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo to build 35,000 units of supportive housing. Despite an 8 percent decline upstate since 2010, homelessness has risen by over 10 percent in the New York Metro Area, and family homelessness has increased by more than 35 percent over the same period.

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HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.hud.gov and http://espanol.hud.gov.

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