Living In shelter
If you are currently living in emergency shelter, there are resources available that can help you exit homelessness. These can include services to help you increase your income, help paying your bills, or entering a housing program.
Please note that housing programs have limited capacity and are often only accessible if you have been homeless for more than a year.
Housing Stability Plan
Housing programs & Support for Families
These programs can with housing options or other supports for low income parents and their children.
In the Long Term Housing Program (LTHP) New Ground meets the family’s basic nutritional and physical needs upon first entering the program. Each family is placed in long-term, affordable, low-income housing. For the next three to five years, New Ground provides all the educational, vocational, and counseling services as well as basic needs and general support through our intensive social work and education services for all family members.
The JumpStart Program (JSP) provides services to a larger number of homeless families waiting for placement in the LTHP. Each family also works closely with a social worker to get a “JumpStart” on their goals in education, financial literacy, employment, parenting and other life skills before entering the LTHP.
Programs can provide early learning services, health services, and support with family well-being such as support achieving housing and financial stability.
Family Service League provides a variety of programs to support homeless families.
Mercy Haven has permanent supportive housing and SPA housing for individuals and families.
WHPDC has a supportive housing program that places families in single family houses and provides intensive case management.
CHI runs permanent supportive housing programs in Long Island and Westchester, NY.
CDCLI administers the Housing Choice Voucher program in Suffolk County. Their website has information on housing lotteries and affordable rental units.
The most common barriers for families exiting homelessness are economic and/or from discrimination and oppression. Often, the most helpful options are housing subsidies, either short-term through Rapid Rehousing programs or housing vouchers. There is a limited stock of Permanent Supportive Housing available for families and they are less likely to qualify.
Families With Children
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid rehousing programs exit about 200 families in shelter, each year, by offering short-term rental assistance, housing search, and case management.
Households do not apply for this program. Families in shelter for the longest periods of time are added to a waitlist and then contacted by a rapid rehousing program when they are next on the list.
Single Adults
The most common barriers for single adults exiting homeless are due to challenges maintaining stability. Permanent Supportive Housing can be a good fit, when available.
The majority of permanent supportive housing for single adults on Long Island can only be accessed by first applying and being approved through SPA (Single Point of Access).
Requirements for housing through SPA:
-
Recent Psychological Evaluation demonstrating a severe and persistent mental illness
-
Recent Psychosocial evaluation
-
Physical and PPD
This program model is designed for people that are homeless, have a documented permanent disability, and require ongoing support and case management in order to retain housing. Affordable, permanent and independent housing meets the needs of tenants by providing support and that is integrated within a neighborhood and community.
Housing opportunities for this program are limited with turn over rates being very low and are dedicated locally to households homeless for more than one year with significant barriers to exiting homelessness on their own and the need for ongoing support .