Advancing Supportive Housing Solutions to Reduce Homelessness for People Impacted by the Justice System

This report lays out immediate actions the Eric Adams’ Mayoral Administration, the Affordable Housing Leadership team, and New York City Council should take in 2022 to make innovative and fiscally responsible policy changes and investments in supportive housing.

Several thousand people on Rikers Island are experiencing homelessness and struggle with ongoing behavioral health needs. When released, these community members struggle to find adequate support, cycle through crisis systems (including shelter and emergency departments), and likely return to jail or prison. This group needs an intervention of supportive housing – a combination of affordable housing with voluntary, individualized services.

This report outlines the fiscal costs of supportive housing to serve the justice-impacted population, with key actions focused on:

1. Significant Investment in Supportive Housing
2. Improving Access to Supportive Housing
3. Increasing transparency by creating a reliable data and reporting infrastructure with key city agencies

These investments will support the de-carceration of Rikers Island. The investments will work to end the cycle of homelessness and institutionalization for an estimated 2,589 people in one year struggling with untreated or complex behavioral health needs who are incarcerated on Rikers Island.