Photo Courtesy of Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office
Mayor de Blasio touts his 30-page “6-Point Action Plan” to end long-term homelessness in NYC.
By Forum Staff
A new strategy built on increasing housing, mental health and medical services for unsheltered individuals, and enhancing outreach resources to deliver more urgent and rapid responses to such people in need will end long-term street homelessness in the five boroughs over the next five years, Mayor Bill de Blasio recently proclaimed.
According to Hizzoner, his 6-Point Action Plan will:
Increase Safe Haven capacity by opening 1,000 new Safe Haven beds.
Create 1,000 new low-barrier permanent apartments by working with partners across the housing and social services sectors.
Deliver new health resources to people where they are, providing treatment through street medical care and behavioral health care, and build the trust needed for clients to come inside. To strengthen the provision of medical and behavioral health care directly to unsheltered New Yorkers where they are, the City will expand the Street Medicine approach developed by HOME-STAT outreach providers to all five boroughs, delivering rapid response care on the streets and in the subways with services such as: risk assessments, wound care, referrals to medical and mental health providers, medication assistance, administration of antibiotics and blood pressure and diabetes screening. Currently, the Street Medicine program operates in Manhattan and parts of Queens and Brooklyn.
Provide coordinated rapid outreach response through the Street Homelessness Joint Command Center. To address the most challenging cases of unsheltered homelessness involving high-needs clients—who often face the most significant, overlapping needs, including mental health and substance misuse—the Joint Command Center, which is operational 24/7/365 courtesy of the Department of Homeless Services and the City Police Department, develops tailored interventions on a case-by-case basis to work towards a breakthrough to encourage these people to finally accept services and transition off the streets and out of the subways. Individual plans are created in close collaboration with partners including the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Health + Hospitals, FDNY Emergency Medical Services, and contracted outreach providers.
Leverage state-of-the-art outreach technology to better connect clients to the services they need to transition into housing.
Expand Diversion and Outreach in our subway system. The Subway Diversion Project is a citywide initiative reforming police officers’ approach to engaging and offering services to unsheltered New Yorkers underground, with a focus on diverting individuals from the criminal justice system towards outreach services and supportive programs. Participants that opt into the program complete an assessment with an outreach team, receive a referral to shelter and/or other services, and have their summonses cleared, ultimately diverting them towards shelter away from unnecessary formal court processes and helping more people come inside and out of the subways. According to de Blasio, the City is expanding the program across Queens, Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
“Homeless New Yorkers are just like us—they deserve our love and compassion and a commitment to go as far as we can to help,” de Blasio added. “So here’s our promise: We will help every last person experiencing long-term homelessness off our streets and we will do more than we ever thought possible to bring them home.”
