Care For the Homeless

New York Times Letter to the Editor  A Crisis of Homelessness MARCH 30, 2014 To the Editor: “ The Sequester and the Homeless ” (editorial, March 23) correctly portrayed as cruel the recent sequestration cuts for their “toll on crucial housing programs that are intended to shield the elderly, the disabled and impoverished families with children from homelessness.” In January, New York City’s homeless shelter census was 53,615, including 22,712 children — a record high. This is a crisis. Modern-day homelessness began in the early 1980s largely because of a retreat from low-income housing. In constant dollars, the federal allocation for housing support for low- and moderate-income households was $77 billion; it was cut to $17 billion in 1982, and we’ve never again reached that affordable-housing investment level, with a result, you report,...

Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy Tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26 th , at 9:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers in at City Hall, Council’s General Welfare Committee is holding   a hearing on Resolution 123-A, calling for a rental subsidy program to assist people experiencing homelessness in moving from shelter to permanent housing. Care for the Homeless is testifying in support of the Council Resolution and it’s open to the public.  You can attend and even testify if you want. The Care for the Homeless Agenda to End Homelessness includes a working rental subsidy to fight homelessness. The need is greater than ever before. New York City’s homeless shelter census is over 53,000 daily and growing. Over 22,000 children are in those shelters daily.   The fastest growing shelter population is families with children. Here’s our view: Public policy choices helped to create modern day homelessness; better policy will help end it. We can end modern day homelessness ...

The supplies were simple: paint, markers, colored pencils and magazines for collages. Using art to explore self-reflection, Care for the Homeless social workers, case managers and mental health specialists hosted workshops this March at several of our sites that serve specific homeless sub-populations. “We wanted to focus on populations that don’t often get activities,” said Heather Garber, licensed clinical social worker. “In Manhattan, we worked with LGBQ homeless youth. In Queens, we went to one site that serves homeless seniors and another that serves homeless families with teens. Adolescents don’t often get activities geared for their age group. On Wards Islands, we worked with homeless men with criminal backgrounds.” Homeless youth face additional challenges. NYC shelters only provide shelter beds to adults (ages 18 and older) or children under 18 with their parent or guardian. Many of the homeless youth we serve are street homeless or staying in precarious emergency...

Jeff Foreman, Director of Policy Care for the Homeless was pleased to take part in a Baruch College public education event last week.  Bobby Watts speaks at Baruch College. Seated left to right are:  Dr. Lance Freeman of Columbia University, Dr. John Goering of  Baruch College  and Department of Homeless Services  Commissioner  Gilbert Taylor.   The program, attended by over 100, featured Care for the Homeless Executive Director Bobby Watts, new Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Gilbert Taylor and Columbia University’s Dr. Lance Freeman, a leading researcher and expert on homeless policy involving youth. Dr. John Goering of Baruch College, an expert on housing and affordable housing policy, was moderator and organizer of the event. Watts used the opportunity to advance specific recommendations for the new administration. He cited the Care for the Homeless policy position that public policy helped to create modern day homel...

Every year, Care for the Homeless serves over 8,000 homeless men, women and children. Last year, your contributions helped us provide critical care to over 3,000 uninsured clients. People experiencing homelessness face several barriers to being insured.   Care for the Homeless provides critical medical, dental and mental health care, regardless of insurance coverage.  Our commitment to providing care to those who need it most is unwavering. More than 35% of our clients are uninsured, and your support helps us serve the most vulnerable.   We're often asked about the clients we serve and how the new Affordable Care Act will help the homeless in NYC and throughout the U.S.  Under the Affordable Care Act, Care for the Homeless is increasing outreach and enrollment efforts.  Medicaid enrollment can be life-changing for homeless individuals and families at risk of long-term homelessness. Hundreds of uninsured homeless New Yorkers received Medicaid...

This March, Susan's Place turns six! Please join Care for the Homeless as we mark the anniversary of the opening of our 200-bed transitional shelter for mentally ill and medically frail homeless women in the Bronx. Services at Susan’s Place include transitional shelter for 6 to 9 months, meals, personalized case management, on-site medical and dental clinics, psychiatry, group and individual therapy, health education workshops and screenings, computer literacy, government benefits enrollment and advocacy, housing placement assistance, job counseling and self-efficacy programming. Six years. Over 438,000 nights of shelter provided. Over 1 million meals served. Since we opened, over 900 women have moved from Susan's Place into permanent housing. Less than 8 percent become homeless again. THANK YOU  for  supporting our mission  and funding critical programs and services like Susan's Place. Interested in volunteering? Please email us at...

Last week, Care for the Homeless Executive Director Bobby Watts testified before the New York City Council assuring policy makers "with real commitment and the political will to do so, we can successfully end modern day homelessness in New York City."  Executive Director Bobby Watts Watts spoke about the Care for the Homeless Agenda to End Homelessness and how policies to fight, prevent and end homelessness would also save taxpayer dollars. Watts also took the opportunity to thank City Council for restoring funding that would have been cut for services for people experiencing homeless in recent budget cycles, and recognizing City Council Chair Steven Levin for legislation he will be proposing to create a city effort to coordinate policies and programs affecting homelessness. "This is modeled on the federal InterAgency Council on Homelessness , that has been so valuable in improving national policy," Watts said. Watts participated in a public hearin...