Q&A
Discussion on supportive housing vacancies and transitions for veterans
0:30:55
ยท
92 sec
Council Member Holden and Associate Commissioner Russell discuss the availability and utilization of supportive housing for veterans. They address the surprising vacancies in some supportive housing locations and the transition process for veterans moving into these units.
- There has been an 83% decline in homeless veterans from 2010 to 2022, but a recent increase to 624 homeless veterans in 2024
- Supportive housing is the second most common type of housing that veterans exit shelter to, with over 22 veterans moving into supportive housing in fiscal year 2024
- The weakness in the chain appears to be the transition from supportive housing to more independent living arrangements
Robert F. Holden
0:30:55
Let me let me just get into some questions and Mhmm.
0:30:58
You know, just talking about supportive housing.
0:31:01
Last time we visited it was last year, we visited location of supportive housing in The Bronx, and surprisingly they had some vacancies.
0:31:12
So we walked in some empty apartments, and they're small apartments, but they're nice.
0:31:17
It's a nice neighborhood.
0:31:18
There's a good sense of neighborhood around that shelter.
0:31:23
So it was surprising that they were saying, look, we have vacancies.
0:31:27
It's the next step of affordable housing, transitional housing.
0:31:32
That's a weak link here.
0:31:35
So, you know, I could you know, the associate commissioner, I could ask, like, how do we you know, what's what's the weakest link in this chain?
0:31:44
Because we heard, and I don't know if it's all over the city, but supportive housing, there are vacancies.
0:31:49
Do you agree with that or are you hearing that?
Sonya Russell
0:31:52
Yes.
0:31:52
I do agree.
0:31:53
Let me just introduce myself again.
0:31:55
Associate commissioner Sonia Russell.
0:31:56
So thank you, chairman Holden.
0:31:58
I do agree with you.
0:31:59
However, with respect to the veterans, we have realized or we have data that supports that our veterans do move out, with supportive housing.
0:32:08
It is the number two most housing that our veterans will exit shelter with.
0:32:14
So for fiscal year twenty four, we had over a 22 veterans move out into supportive housing.
0:32:22
So that is at least 20 less than those that moved down
Robert F. Holden
0:32:27
And are they getting their own places, or how how does this work?