Dear Friends:

All across America, small towns and large cities are experiencing increased levels of homelessness. This is certainly the case in New York City, where we continue to see record levels of homeless men, women, and families in shelters each night.

I am proud to report that over the past two and a half years, the City launched a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening our response to those in need – and we have made significant progress. The Department of Homeless Services introduced new homeless prevention initiatives, helped record numbers of people leave shelters and find permanent homes,and asked those receiving shelter services to take steps to help themselves and move toward self-sufficiency.

To address the long-term concerns,my administration released The New Housing Marketplace, a plan to build and preserve more than 65,000 homes and apartments in neighborhoods around the City. Sustained investment in affordable housing is fundamental to our long-term economic prosperity, as well as to overcoming homelessness. We must continue to find innovative ways to support affordable and supportive housing development, even in challenging economic times.

Uniting for Solutions Beyond Shelter is a 10-year action plan that brings together the business, nonprofit, and public sector communities to address the challenging issue of homelessness at its core, rather than manage it at the margins. It reflects my strong belief that every individual and family deserves safe, affordable housing –a goal we can achieve through proactive, coordinated action and investments in cost-effective initiatives that solve homelessness.

I look forward to working with you to achieve these important objectives that will further improve our great City for all New Yorkers.

Sincerely,

Michael R. Bloomberg
Mayor