Advocacy Priorities and Past Advocacy Accomplishments

Homeless Services United uses the following guiding principles in establishing advocacy priorities:

• Workforce Development: HSU advocates for adequate compensation, training, and advancement opportunities for the nonprofit homeless services workforce. Recently, we helped to secure a multi-year cost of living adjustment (COLA), beginning with 3% for FY09, for NYC homeless services staff. HSU also provides member agency staff with free and low-cost training opportunities.

• Regulatory and Budget Advocacy: HSU advocates for adjustments to government requirements and funding mechanisms to support delivery of high-quality services and minimize administrative burdens that detract from direct service for clients, while maintaining provider accountability. HSU is working with the Department of Homeless Services to develop Performance Investment Programs to strengthen sevice quality for homeless people.
  

• Ending Homelessness: HSU advocates for solutions to end the crisis of homelessness in New York City and supports efforts to expand the availability of prevention services and the stock of affordable, supportive, and service-enriched housing. See our 2005 position paper, Embracing Solutions to Homelessness. HSU was involved in advocating for the conversion to the city's Housing Stability Plus (HSP) rental assistance program into a more efficient housing subsidy program. For more information on our HSP advocacy efforts read our report on the HSP program: False Start, Fresh Promise.
  

• Access to Continuum of Care: For those individuals and families who cannot be prevented from becoming homeless, HSU advocates for immediate access to a full continuum of high-quality services, including emergency, transitional, and permanent housing, outreach, and drop-in services. HSU supports efforts to maintain a legal right to shelter.

• Resource Reinvestment: HSU advocates for full reinvestment of savings derived from shelter downsizing and closure into community-based emergency, transitional, drop-in, and prevention services and affordable and supportive housing for formerly homeless and at-risk individuals and families. For more information on our Resource Reinvestment Project click here.

• Hurricane Katrina Relief: In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, HSU and the Supportive Housing Network of New York (SHNNY) quickly organized an effort to transport clothing, school supplies, and other donations for 500 schoolchildren who relocated to Monroe, LA following the evacuation of New Orleans. SHNNY and HSU member agencies made generous contributions, and volunteers filled a 15-foot box truck with over 150 boxes of donations. For an account of our trip to Monroe, please click here.
  

• HSU delivers testimony to the NYC Council Committee on General Welfare examining the issue of illegal boarding houses in New York City (May 5, 2009)

• HSU delivers testimony to the NYC Council Committee on General Welfare on the FY10 Preliminary Budget (March 23, 2009)

• HSU delivers testimony to the NYC Council Committee on General Welfare on DHS' Restructuring of Services to the Street Homeless Population in New York City (January 14, 2009)

• HSU's responses to the Department of Homeless Services Drop-In Center and Respite Bed Concept Papers (November 6, 2008).

• HSU delivers testimony to the NYC Council Committee on General Welfare on DHS' Strategies and Progress Toward Meeting the Goal of Reducing Homelessness by 2/3 by 2009 (September 23, 2008). The Department of Homeless Services Fall 2008 Progress Report can be found here.
  

• HSU voices concerns about the Department of Homeless Services' plan to relocate the Men's Intake Center to Brooklyn (May 5, 2008).

• HSU delivers testimony to the NYC Council Committee on General Welfare on the Fiscal Year 2009 Preliminary Budget (March 10, 2008).

• HSU follows up on a recent meeting between the Department of Homeless Services and HSU Board Members (February 21, 2008).