Stories of Impact
"If it wasn't for Volunteers of America I would be in a cardboard box somewhere with my kids. I cannot finish thanking VOA. I cannot thank them enough."
-Debra, mother of three, former residents of Bushwick Family Residence.
Outreach, Transitional, Supportive, and Affordable Housing
Providing a continuum of housing programs that can meet people where they are
How We Help People Experiencing, or at Risk of, Homelessness
VOA-Greater New York is a major provider of services to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Achieving housing stability is often the first step to addressing the underlying causes of homelessness, including behavioral health and substance use issues, domestic violence and intergenerational poverty.
While the majority of our clients are referred to us by city and state agencies, we do conduct some outreach through Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF).
We operate dozens of residential programs — transitional and permanent supportive — that provide service-rich environments in which clients receive intensive case management. Case managers help clients identify their strengths and challenges and create an Independent Living Plan (ILP) to achieve their goals. The ILP is specific to the individual and may include paths to housing, education, employment, life skills development, budgeting, or securing benefits to which they are entitled.
We conduct outreach to homeless and at-risk veterans and their families through our Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) program which serves all five boroughs.
Many individuals and families need short-term stabilization before they can find housing that will meet their long-term needs. VOA-Greater New York operates programs for those who are in need of immediate shelter, allowing staff to assess and determine the services for which these men, women and children are eligible.
Transitional housing is usually the step taken after an individual or a family has entered an emergency shelter and before permanent housing can be found. During this time, our staff work with individuals and families to develop an ILP and help them obtain a more permanent living situation.
For many people who are homeless and living with physical or behavioral health challenges, permanent housing paired with intensive support services may prevent chronic homelessness. In 2017, the Creston Avenue Residence in the Bronx was awarded "Residence of the Year" by the Supportive Housing Network of New York.
As the need for affordable housing and supportive services grows, VOA-Greater New York continues to respond by providing safe, supportive, environments that are long-term for some of the city's most vulnerable residents.
Street to Home is a new pilot program that brings individuals off the street and directly into supportive housing. In the spirit of the "Housing First" model, this program allows an unsheltered individual to bypass the shelter system altogether and immediately start focusing on their road to stability.
Watch a video about Didi, a former resident of Regent Family Residence:
