|
New Destiny Housing Corporation seeks to improve and increase the existing permanent housing resources for domestic violence survivors and expand the overall supply of housing available to survivors in New York City.
Current advocacy points include:
- Improving collaboration between DHS' and HRA's shelter systems to facilitate an efficient, seamless transition for DV survivors who must enter the general homeless system after leaving DV shelter (cross honoring time spent in shelter, housing certifications etc.)
- Offering the Advantage program to out-of-status immigrants with citizen children
- Decreasing the application processing time for DV Priority NYCHA Public Housing to coincide with the average length of shelter stay and expanding the documentation requirements for the DV priority status
- Increasing the number of Tier II shelter beds available to DV survivors and/or raising the maximum length of stay in emergency shelters to 180 days
- Maintaining the DV priority status in the Advantage program to honor Family Violence Option PA work waivers and provide survivors with additional time before requiring employment
- Institutionalizing a set aside, proportional share of HPD homeless housing resources for DV shelter residents in HPD's annual plan
- Creating a special category for DV shelter residents in the NY/NY III agreement that applies to families and does not require an axis I diagnosis or other disability
- Enhancing aftercare programs to provide needed support to previous shelter residents, leading to economic stability and decreased chances of returning to shelter
To promote their advocacy agenda, New Destiny works in collaboration with other advocates in New York City and is a key participant in The Coalition of Domestic Violence Residential Providers. Through this group, New Destiny collects and analyzes "Statistics for Advocacy", which track the outcomes of domestic violence shelter stays. These statistics are used to inform and support advocacy points.
New Destiny has collaborated with other advocates in the past, primarily the United Way/Enterprise Domestic Violence and Permanent Housing Task Force to achieve significant outcomes.
United Way/Enterprise Domestic Violence & Permanent Housing Task Force
The Task Force was launched following a domestic violence and housing symposium, "Opening Doors: Expanding Permanent Housing for Domestic Violence Survivors", sponsored by New Destiny in May 2006. Beginning in June 2006, the Task Force met monthly to gather and analyze data on the permanent housing needs of domestic violence shelter users and prepare recommendations. The final product included recommendations released to the Mayor's Office of Health and Human Services in March 2007.
In October 2007, Mayor Bloomberg and the Task Force jointly announced six new initiatives designed to help reduce or eliminate barriers faced by domestic violence shelter residents seeking safe, affordable housing. The City met with representatives from the Task Force several times to monitor and evaluate the progress of these six initiatives.
New Destiny continues to build on the momentum garnered by the Task Force in its current advocacy agenda.
My Door
Stemming from one of the six initiatives announced by the Task Force and the City, United Way developed a pilot aftercare program for domestic violence survivors exiting the shelter system. My Door, administered by Sanctuary for Families, launched in summer 2008 and served former shelter residents who find permanent housing in the Bronx. The program formally ended in the summer of 2010 and is in the process of being formally evaluated.
More information on the program can be found here.
Project Safe Home
Task Force members identified underutilized low-income tax housing credit (LIHTC) units as a potential source of permanent housing for domestic violence shelter residents. Although the LIHTC is the most successful low-income housing program in the country, developers sometimes have difficulty finding income-eligible tenants to fill units that become vacant after the initial rent-up.
The Task Force recommended that domestic violence shelter residents be linked to these units. Such a program opens a formerly untapped affordable housing resource for shelter residents, while simultaneously reducing the time units remain vacant, thus boosting revenue for developers. New Destiny took on the challenge and launched Project Safe Home in the fall of 2008. Project Safe Home, developed and implemented by New Destiny, provides "housing readiness" training to domestic violence shelter residents and coordinated access to LIHTC permanent housing with partner landlords.
Back to top
The Coalition consists of all 18 City-funded non-profit domestic violence residential shelter providers in New York City. The Coalition advocates with a unified voice for a continuum of care that provides quality housing and services for all domestic violence survivors. The Coalition's main goals are to (1) increase the housing and services available to low-income domestic violence survivors and (2) improve the access of survivors to existing resources.
Recent testimony drafted and read by the Coalition:
- NYCHA Domestic Violence Priority, NYCHA hearing on 6/30/2010
- Update on DHS' Advantage and HomeBase Programs, City Council Testimony on 4/15/2010
- Loss of Section 8, City Council Testimony on 2/23/2010
In addition to testimony, the Coalition also sends correspondence to and meets with City and State elected and government officials to discuss advocacy efforts.
New Destiny plays an active leadership role in the Coalition. New Destiny staff members serve on the Steering, Housing and Services committees; prepare testimony and written materials on behalf of the Coalition; and collect and analyze monthly "Statistics for Advocacy", tracking the outcomes of domestic violence shelter stays.
Back to top
If you have further questions about New Destiny's advocacy agenda, contact Catherine Trapani, New Destiny's HousingLink Director, at 646-472-0262 x12 or ctrapani@newdestinyhousing.org.
|
