New York State votes to release $1 billion for supportive housing

New York State Assembly Social Services Chair Andrew Hevesi (A.D. 28) announced on April 10 the New York State Assembly and New York State Senate voted to release $1 billion for the development of the first 6,000 new units of supportive housing in the next five years to address the state’s growing homelessness crisis, part of a larger promise by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to build 20,000 supportive units over the next 15 years.

Supportive housing has been shown to dramatically reduce homelessness. It is especially helpful for people living with disabilities and chronic health conditions, and for those leaving foster care, shelters, psychiatric facilities and addiction treatment programs. 

Affordable housing has the potential to play a critical role in allowing adults with autism who have limited resources the chance to live in their own homes, as independently as possible. The large majority of adults with autism continue to live in their family homes, not by choice, but because of the lack of available alternatives. In order to increase opportunities for adults on the spectrum to move out of their family homes, we need options for people at all socioeconomic levels, which include the use of affordable housing.

New York continues to advance their supportive housing funding, a move that will help thousands of New Yorkers with limited income, including adults with autism.  For more information on housing for adults with autism, please see these Autism Speaks Housing and Residential Supports Tool Kit and other housing-related resources.