Astorino Announces $2.1 Million Grant to Fund Permanent Homes for Chronically Homeless Residents
By Ned McCormack, Communications Director, Westchester County
Jul. 15, 2015: Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino announced July 9 that the Westchester County Department of Social Services (DSS) has been awarded a $2.1 million federal grant to continue its efforts to get people out of shelters and into permanent housing.
The Turning Point Grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development will cover leasing and moving costs as well as administrative services to get up to 100 people into permanent housing.
"This is an extremely important step in the county's goal of reducing the number of people in shelters," Astorino said. "To have a place you know is your own, and to call it home--that is certainly a better way to live. This is good not only for individuals and families who have long endured homelessness, but also for the county taxpayer."
The grant reinforces the partnership between the county's DSS, the Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health, and local nonprofit partners as they continue to make great strides in ending homelessness. Under Astorino's direction, DSS has successfully implemented the following initiatives:
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Creating the Office of Temporary Housing Assistance to centralize its operations;
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Leveraging its emergency housing resources to rapidly transition the homeless population into permanent housing;
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Building support services around the new housing; and
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Assembling two teams of caseworkers to directly manage homeless cases with the objective of minimizing time spent in temporary housing.
The results have been impressive. Since January of 2014, when Astorino created the Office of Temporary Housing Assistance, the overall number of homeless households is down 39 percent--including a 51 percent drop in homeless singles or childless couples and a 28 percent drop in homeless families.
"The difference between a shelter and a permanent home address is enormous," said DSS Commissioner Kevin McGuire. "We have the opportunity to make that change in the lives of people who understand that difference the most."
Where the permanent housing will be located was not stated in the press release, and, in fact, it may not be known yet. However, a program overseen by HUD to require communities in Westchester County to provide low-cost housing has been under way for some time.
The grant comes with the option to renew annually, and the Board of Acquisition and Contract voted to approve the funds at today's meeting.
Pictured here: Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino.
Photo courtesy Ned McCormack, Communications Director, Westchester County
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Bronxville is a quaint village (one square mile) located just 16 miles north of midtown Manhattan (roughly 30 minutes on the train) and has a population of approximately 6,500. It is known as a premier community with an excellent public school (K-12) and easy access to Manhattan. Bronxville offers many amenities including an attractive business district, a hospital (Lawrence Hospital), public paddle and tennis courts, fine dining at local restaurants, two private country clubs and a community library.
While the earliest settlers of Bronxville date back to the first half of the 18th century, the history of the modern suburb of Bronxville began in 1890 when William Van Duzer Lawrence purchased a farm and commissioned the architect, William A. Bates, to design a planned community of houses for well-known artists and professionals that became a thriving art colony. This community, now called Lawrence Park, is listed on the National register of Historic Places and many of the homes still have artists’ studios. A neighborhood association within Lawrence Park called “The Hilltop Association” keeps this heritage alive with art shows and other events for neighbors.
Bronxville offers many charming neighborhoods as well as a variety of living options for residents including single family homes, town houses, cooperatives and condominiums. One of the chief benefits of living in “the village” is that your children can attend the Bronxville School.
The Bronxville postal zone (10708, known as “Bronxville PO”) includes the village of Bronxville as well as the Chester Heights section of Eastchester, parts of Tuckahoe and the Lawrence Park West, Cedar Knolls, Armour Villa and Longvale sections of Yonkers. Many of these areas have their own distinct character. For instance, the Armour Villa section has many historic homes and even has its own newsletter called “The Villa Voice” which reports on neighborhood news.
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