The State of New York and the City of New York have both released new funding sources for the development of supportive housing. Below you’ll find an overview of what is available for Services & Operating funding in addition to Capital resources. Please feel free to reach out to our New York Lending Team: Jen Trepinksi for the Five Boroughs and Maygen Moore for the balance of New York State.
Service & Operating Funding Sources
Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (“ESSHI”)
New York State will award 1,200 units this year funded at up to $25,000 per unit annually. The grant period is for five years and is renewable for five year terms subject to state funding availability. NYS OMH will be the lead agency, but other State agencies may administer contracts for other populations not governed by OMH. The latest Request for Proposal (RFP) is available on Grants Gateway and is due July 24, 2017 at 2:00pm.
Only non-profit agencies may apply for ESSHI. The eligible populations are homeless individuals or families with one or more disabling conditions or life challenges:
- Serious mental illness (SMI);
- Substance Use Disorder (SUD);
- Persons living with HIV or AIDS;
- Victims/Survivors of domestic violence;
- Military service with disabilities (including veterans with other than honorable discharge);
- Chronic homelessness as defined by HUD (including families, and individuals experiencing street homelessness or long-term shelter stays);
- Youth / young adults who left foster care within the prior five years and who were in foster care at or over age 16;
- Homeless young adults between 18 and 25 years old;
- Adults, youth or young adults reentering the community from incarceration or juvenile justice placement, particularly those with disabling conditions;
- Frail or disabled seniors;
- Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities;
- Individuals who are Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT) high cost Medicaid populations
NYC 15/15
The NYC 15/15 program will include 7,500 newly-developed congregate units and 7,500 scatter-site units. This is an open-ended Request for Proposals (RFP) for 7,500 units of newly-developed congregate (single-site) supportive housing in NYC. A separate RFP has been released for the scatter-site units. The RFP can be downloaded from and proposals MUST be submitted through NYC HRA HHS Accelerator system.
The target populations for this procurement, and the overall total unit targets within the NYC 15/15 program are:
- Single Adults (SMI/SUD): 5,155
- Adult Families (SMI/SUD): 341
- Families with Children (SMI/SUD): 654
- Young Adult Individuals (ages 18 to 25 years): 989
- Young Adult Families with Children or Pregnant Women 18-25: 361
Eligible contractors will be nonprofit service providers, pre-qualified in the HHS Accelerator system, with a minimum of five (5) years’ experience in client intake and assessment, service delivery using evidence-based and evidence-informed practices, locating and renting apartments, hiring and managing support staff, managing contract budgets, collecting data, and implementing program evaluation protocol.
Capital Funding Sources
NYS Homeless Housing Assistance Program (“HHAP”)
HHAP is the sole program of the Homeless Housing Assistance Corporation (HHAC), a public benefit corporation established as a subsidiary of NYS Homes and Community Renewal. HHAC has an annual competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) process that stays open throughout the year until all the funding is allocated. On June 6, 2017, HHAC released the latest RFP and the application can be found at http://otda.ny.gov/contracts/2017/HHAP/.
Applicants must have majority nonprofit ownership (51% or more). Eligible projects include permanent supportive housing, transitional housing and emergency shelters. Projects with Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) awards are a high priority going forward.
Eligible populations include people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness who are unable to securer housing without special assistance and include:
- veterans
- people living with HIV/AIDS
- people struggling with substance abuse
- people struggling with mental illness
- ex-offenders
- the chronically homeless
- victims of domestic violence and
- runaway and homeless youth.
Supportive Housing Opportunity Program (“SHOP”)
On June 7, 2017 HCR released its Multifamily Open Window RFP that includes SHOP. Applications will be accepted throughout the year with a final due date of March 31, 2018. SHOP is also available through the NYS HCR Unified Funding Round for 9% LIHTC.
Eligible applicants are nonprofit corporations or charitable organizations, or a wholly owned subsidiary of such corporations or organizations, or private for-profit developers. 80% of SHOP funding through FY 2020 will be prioritized for developments that will be controlled by nonprofit organizations.
Eligible target populations are families, individuals and/or young adults who are both homeless and who are identified as having an unmet housing need as determined by the CoC or local planning entity or through other supplemental local, state and federal data, and have one or more disabling conditions or other life challenges, including:
- Serious mental illness (SMI);
- Substance use disorder;
- Individuals diagnosed with HIV;
- Victims/Survivors of domestic violence;
- Military service with disabilities (including veterans with other than honorable discharge);
- Chronic homelessness (including families, and individuals experiencing street homelessness or long-term shelter stays);
- Youth / young adults who left foster care within the prior five years and who were in foster care at or over age 16;
- Homeless young adults between 18 and 25 years old;
- Adults, youth or young adults reentering the community from incarceration or juvenile justice placement, particularly those with disabling conditions;
- Frail or disabled seniors;
- Individuals who are MRT high cost Medicaid populations (MRT Eligible)