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The story “Proponents tell state to step up on supportive housing rentals," Dec. 2, should set off alarm bells at the state Capitol. Now more than ever, in the face of uncertainty in D.C., the Hochul administration and legislators must step up and protect New York's most vulnerable residents.

That should start with including in the upcoming state budget a plan to save 9,000 supportive housing units that are in jeopardy of going offline due to chronic underfunding. These units fall under the New York State Supportive Housing Program, which hasn't seen a significant increase since its inception four decades ago. As a result, their infrastructure is deteriorating, programs are insufficient to meet tenants' needs, and overworked staff are underpaid.

There's a simple solution: Bring these units into the 2016 Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, which provides $25,000 per household per year compared to the older program's annual $3,900 max per family.

This relatively small investment of $32 million in year one of a five-year conversion plan will more than pay for itself over time. It will prevent families and individuals from returning to homelessness and ensure stability in the supportive housing system as the state works to add new units and address the longstanding homelessness and affordable housing crises.

In this season of giving, it's traditional to support the least among us. I hope Gov. Kathy Hochul embraces this sentiment and remembers the supportive housing program as she puts the final touches on her executive spending plan.

The writer is the Executive Director of Joseph's House & Shelter in Troy.

Published Dec. 15, 2024

Many Americans think we’re a nation in decline, having peaked in the mid-20th century. So the Republican Party's promise to defend "traditional values" and “Make America Great Again” proved a winning electoral strategy. However, in true President Donald Trump form, this turned out to be highly effective branding but in the end all sizzle and no steak. The traditional values the Republican Party seems intent to defend are unfortunately some of our worst: pandering to the rich, restricting women’s rights, and attacking vulnerable marginalized groups.

Unfortunately, Democrats allowed their opponents to become "the party of traditional values" without putting up any sort of a fight as if it were strategically irrelevant or an undesirable title. What's sadly forgotten here is that our past contains plenty of values very much worth fighting for, such as environmental preservation and reducing economic inequality. We have a rich tradition of effectively resisting inequality with measures like aggressive anti-trust laws and a 90% top-tier tax rate. We also have a rich tradition of national defense, and there's no greater threat to modern American security than global warming.

Our past is far from perfect, but there's nothing inherently problematic about identifying and honoring the best aspects of it. While Republicans have certainly lost the plot with regard to what's "great" about our past, our future is being threatened by runaway inequality and environmental neglect. Democrats can and should........

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