The
2006 NYC Continuum of Care Coalition
>>Urgent Input Needed
on Next Vote
November
15, 2006
Dear NYCAHN
members & friends:
I am writing
to request your immediate input into how NYC uses the funding it receives
from the HUD McKinney Vento Act to build housing for and provide services
to the homeless.
For the
past 6 years, NYCAHN has been one of 7 provider coalitions who are
able to vote on the steering committee of the NYC Continuum of Care
Coalition, which decides how funding from this program is spent here
in NYC. In addition, we have worked closely with several of the 7
consumer representatives and many of the at-large representatives.
Kenneth Robinson, VP of Supportive Housing at Housing Works, Inc.
has been our voting rep. at the Steering Committee meetings of the
NYC Continuum of Care Coalition.
The next
steering committee meeting is THIS Friday, November 17, 2006. In
the upcoming HUD funding cycle, we are facing an $800K deficit to
meet our renewal burden. Based on a sub-committee meeting yesterday,
the following is going to be proposed for vote this Friday at the
Steering Comm. Mtg.:
- Cost per Unit: Of the programs
listed in the attached spread sheet that exceed the multi-tiered
caps, they will face 100%, 25%, or 10% budget cuts in excess of
the CPU. This will not guarantee a certain level of savings, however;
a review committee will be formed and every program will be allowed
to defend itself and exceptions, in all probability, will be made.
This will be done one time to bridge the gap between pro-rata share
and renewal burden for the upcoming year. For quick reference, none
of our programs are on the list.
- A competitive model will
be implemented for renewals to free up money for new projects in
future years; i.e., during the renewal process, renewal app's and
programs will be evaluated for efficacy and given a score. Programs
in the lower tiers, depending on the percentage of the pro-rata
share that establishes the cut off, will not be re-funded.
- There is some discussion
of proposing an across the board cut of 1.32% to all programs which
will allow us to cover our renewal burden. There is also discussion
of voting no to all cuts and waiting to get more information from
HUD.
If
you receive HUD McKinney Vento Continuum of Care funding and you are
providing housing to homeless people living with HIV/AIDS, I would
love to hear your input on this issue to help us shape how we will
vote on Friday. Only NYCAHN members will be able to officially weigh
in, but I want to hear from as many people as possible on this issue
to get a sense of the potential impact on our community.
Please
call me on my cell phone (917) 517-5202 or email me your thoughts
to weigh in
>>Sign
on to the National Alliance to End Homelessness letter to increase
funding for the McKinney Vento Act
Click
here to download the information memo
Click
here to download the sign on letter
>>The 2004 Exhibit
1 (which is written by the City of NY and outlines all of the gaps
and needs in NYC for serving homeless people) can be located at
the following link.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/downloads/pdf/2004hudnofa.pdf
The NYC Continuum of Care
Coalition is a COMMUNITY coalition made up of nonprofit organizations,
homeless people, government officials and other stakeholders who
are responsible for setting the priorities used in NYC for the distribution
of funding from HUD through the McKinney Vento Act. To get involved
in the Continuum of Care Process as a voting member through the
NYC AIDS Housing Network, call Jennifer at (718) 802-9540. For information
about upcoming meetings, or to get added to the coalition's e-mail
list, contact Ernesto
Vigeroux at Hudson Planning Group.
NYCAHN organizational member, Housing
Works, fought to open up membership to the coalition through a law
suit after the Giuliani administration left them off of the ranking
list for funding illegally. NYCAHN co-founder, Joe Capestany was
the first homeless person to be a voting member and he worked, along
with Anthony Williams to fight for the coalition to include the full
and equal participation of homeless individuals.
NYCAHN board members Cameron
Craig and Laverne Holley
and organizational representatives, Kenneth
Robinson, Housing Works, Gina
Quattrochi, Bailey House and Andrew
Coamey, Housing Works, along with staff member Jennifer
Flynn are members of the committee to create the new structure.
The 2004 NYC CONTINUUM OF
CARE COALITION consists of the following voting members:
Homeless Housing Provider
Coalitions (1 vote each):
NYC
AIDS Housing Network
Tier II Coalition
ASPHA
Supportive
Housing Network of New York
Homeless Youth and Runaway
Task Force
Association for Community Living
Domestic Violence Coalition
The Council on Homeless
Policies
Association of Voluntary
Mental Health Agencies
The following homeless individuals
were elected to represent homeless people living with HIV/AIDS for
this year:
Cameron
Craig (voting member)
Laverne
Holley (alternate)
There are meetings by and
for homeless and formerly homeless people living with HIV/AIDS who
want to get involved in this community coalition and have a say in
how NYC spends it funding to end homelessness every first Monday of
the month (unless the Monday is a holiday, in which case the meeting
takes place the 2nd Monday) at 6:00 p.m. at Genesis Apts. 113
E. 13th Street b/t 3rd & 4th Aves. in Manhattan near the Union
Square Subway station.
