Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Homeless Services Commissioner Linda Gibbs today issued a strategic plan to strengthen the City's approach to homeless services. The plan includes initiatives that fall within four principle strategies: prevention, permanency, efficiency/accountability, and stronger shelter services. While DHS has traditionally focused most of its efforts on shelter and related social services, its new strategic plan also includes an emphasis on preventive and permanency programs. Program highlights include the creation of an interagency coordinating council on homelessness; initiatives to assist long staying single adults and families regain independence; and efforts to use data to increase accountability and evaluate demand, client needs, and program strengths and weaknesses.

"This plan, which is the result of an extensive and inclusive planning process that included key stakeholders, outlines the next steps the City will take to address homelessness," said Mayor Bloomberg. "Tonight, 15,000 children will sleep in one of the City's shelters. While they will be safe and secure, we know we can and must do better for these children, their families and other homeless New Yorkers. We've mapped out an ambitious strategy to build on the tremendous reforms in shelter services achieved during the last decade. It is compassionate but also sets standards for those who need our help. I am pleased by the cooperation of multiple agencies that will be working together under this plan to effectively address the complex issues of homelessness."

In response to increasing numbers of homeless individuals and families entering the shelter services system, Mayor Bloomberg also announced that the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will receive 3,300 new Emergency Assistance Rehousing Program (EARP) Section 8 vouchers and 700 additional housing units from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). This brings the agency's total EARP allocation to 6,000 and NYCHA allocation to 2,000 for the year. These new resources will enable DHS and its partner providers to place a greater number of homeless families in permanent housing.

"This much needed increase in dedicated housing units and vouchers could not come at a better time," said Commissioner Gibbs. "The challenge at the Department of Homeless Services will be to fully utilize these resources, and to explore creative and collaborative ways to make this happen. One of our goals is getting agency staff, case workers and clients focused with great urgency on the transition from shelter to independent living."

Key to the success of this plan is the newly formed interagency coordinating council, including the Department of Employment, Department of Finance, Housing Preservation and Development, Human Resources Administration, and New York City Housing Authority. In addition, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development created an Office of Special Needs Housing under the newly appointed Assistant Commissioner Timothy O'Hanlon. This necessary collaboration of agencies that have programs or funding streams related to prevention, shelter provision or permanency, will enable the City to better coordinate and plan services for those who are, or are at-risk of becoming homeless. Because the health services and criminal justice systems are the greatest single source of placements into the adult shelter services system, DHS will also collaborate with appropriate city and state agencies on preventive efforts to help their clients avoid homelessness.

Throughout the DHS plan, emphasis has been placed on the use of data to increase accountability and evaluate performance. DHS has identified and published its most critical outcomes. By regularly releasing data, the agency will hold itself accountable to the public and to its homeless clients. These initiatives will include the creation of HOMESTAT to report on preventive and permanency outcomes at the provider and community levels.

As part of this comprehensive plan, the administration will implement standards of mutual responsibility that will identify common sense expectations for clients receiving temporary, emergency shelter. "The right to shelter, like any other right, carries with it certain responsibilities. As the City has the responsibility to provide shelter and related services, so have clients a responsibility to seek and accept appropriate housing, and avoid dangerous behavior that places other clients at risk," said Commissioner Gibbs.

The plan also includes targeted initiatives to help long-term shelter residents achieve independence through rental assistance and the development of permanent housing that combines affordable apartments with on-site social services.