PEP, May 2007: Building homes, building lives

An innovative, cost-effective program at HPD is transforming lives and producing hundreds of units of housing each year for former residents of city shelters.

By JANE LaTOUR

Most New Yorkers can take many simple things for granted. The key in the lock of your own door, shelter every night, a space to call your own. But for thousands of New Yorkers, these simple things seem unattainable. Almost 4,000 New Yorkers live on the streets. We see them in subway cars or living on a bench just two blocks from City Hall. Over 32,000 New Yorkers sleep in homeless shelters every night.

Research released in March by Public Agenda, an advocacy group, shows that New Yorkers strongly support solutions beyond shelters for the homeless, solutions that focus on preventing homelessness, rental assistance, and permanent housing. New York City has become a model for other large cities struggling to find long-term solutions.

This initiative begins with an ambitious plan, unfolds through the combined efforts of many skilled and dedicated participants, and ends with new housing that improves the lives of real people. DC 37 members are the key to making this happen. A team of experts at the Dept. of Housing Preservation and Development puts all the pieces together and keeps the projects moving forward. City Planners, Fiscal and Community Coordinators, Community Liaisons, Project Managers, Architects and Engineers make up the team. All are members of Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375.

Under the umbrella of the Supportive Housing Loan Program, 10,000 units have been provided in the five boroughs within the last 15 years. The team completes 500 new units each year. Most of the units are for occupancy by single adults. Acting as the bank for the projects, HPD partners with the nonprofits that first build or rehabilitate and then operate the units. The program funds not-for-profit organizations — Common Ground, Project Renewal, and the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, among others — to develop supportive housing for homeless adults, including people suffering from disabilities such as mental illness and AIDS. The Dept. of Homeless Services refers residents, and HPD enters into service contracts with other city agencies, including the Human Resources Administration, HIV/AIDS Services Administration and the Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene.

One life amongst many
The program has transformed Gertha Reid’s life. As she greets visitors on her doorstep at Georgia’s Place, a 48-unit supportive housing residence in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, she welcomes them with a smile. The warm touches throughout her small apartment speak of home, from the afghan on the bed to the photos on the wall. “There are a lot of things I like about this building. I take advantage of everything it has to offer. I feel safe here,” she said.

Reid is now ready to take on new challenges with the help of the staff at the residence. Her dream is to find her 19-year-old son, Edwin Alvarez Reid. Although 10 turbulent years of homelessness separated her from her only child, she is eager to reconnect. Surrounded by a safety net that makes dreams possible, Reid is looking forward to achieving some of the personal goals she has set for herself, such as taking classes in reading, math and computer skills.

On a tour of the complex, Laura Welder, program director for Georgia’s Place, pointed out the amenities and services that make up the safety net for residents. These include round-the-clock security, on-site services for mental health, counseling for substance abuse, nutritional workshops, recreational activities, vocational training and much more.

“The residents are so much in the shelter mentality when they arrive that for one or two months they don’t even unpack,” said Welder. “Then slowly they start interacting. They have a hard time believing that they have a home.”

Local 375 member Yolanda Gibbs is a Principal Community Liaison. She ensures that rental assistance is in place before the building is up. Her job is to submit all the forms for project-based Section 8 housing for the units. “When we walked into Gertha Reid’s apartment and I saw how happy she was, I said, ‘Wow.’ We’re really changing lives. That feels real good,” said Gibbs.

Community Coordinator Danielle Brown, a Service Enriched Project Manager, is looking to apply the supportive housing model to homeless families. Every project needs to win the support of a Community Board. “These situations can happen to anyone,” said Brown. “We fail to realize that we are all one community. We need to look at it that way: This could be me or it could be someone I love. It’s an eye opener and a struggle, but one I enjoy,” she said.

Liz Eastman, Project Manager for Georgia’s Place, enjoys the variety of her job. “It’s never routine. We see different things and work with a large variety of people,” she said. “It’s not a textbook job. We have to deal with problems they don’t teach in planning school! We’re trying to help make the world a better place and be part of the solution, not part of the problem. Here, we have a wonderful opportunity to do that,” said Eastman.

Deputy Director David Rougé summed up the job description: “From A to Z, we’re responsible for getting the job done.” As Gibbs pointed out, this happens through teamwork. “We do get it done and we all do it together! I’ve never worked in a place that relies so much on teamwork. Our co-workers go out of their way to make it all work.”