{"id":1742,"date":"2023-08-17T18:20:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-17T22:20:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/?p=1742"},"modified":"2023-09-02T18:25:46","modified_gmt":"2023-09-02T22:25:46","slug":"action-plan-to-end-homelessness-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/?p=1742","title":{"rendered":"Action Plan to End Homelessness Announced"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure data-spectra-id=\"spectra-8940bc31-d727-487a-8bda-c45cc554b3bc\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"IMG 7517 1024x768\" class=\"wp-image-1743\" title=\"Action Plan to End Homelessness Announced\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/IMG_7517-1600x1200.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Local leaders, housing experts and people with lived experience with homelessness gathered to announce a major plan to tackle Rochester\u2019s housing crisis. The Action Plan to End Homelessness calls on Monroe County to expand programs that work and fund new, evidence-based programs. The plan would provide housing to all who seek emergency assistance, including in shelters and permanent housing.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The announcement comes as County Executive Bello is preparing the 2024 budget. The plan would cost $45 million annually. Our proposal represents less than 5% of the Monroe County budget of $1.3 billion. Monroe County\u2019s financial position is strong. The county can keep taxes flat, set aside reserve funds, AND pay for this proposal.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cVocal NY is committed to ending homelessness in Monroe County. The only way that this will work is if the county really starts to take ownership and actually work together with the community and grassroots organizations to implement these solutions,\u201d said Imani Addison, WNY Community Organizer for Vocal NY.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOur community has the resources to end homelessness. What we have not had is the will,\u201d said Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart. \u201cThis Action Plan provides a road map to provide housing for all. Let\u2019s work together on getting these items done.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Highlights include:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Housing Vouchers<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; People with lower incomes struggle to find affordable apartments. Housing vouchers bridge the gap between what people can pay and the cost of safe, quality units.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Increase funding for emergency housing&nbsp;<\/strong>&#8211; The emergency housing system is underfunded, with daily rates too low for shelters to meaningful help individuals in crisis. The system needs more capacity. Outreach services must be better-supported, along with mental health and substance abuse programs.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Peer Brokers &amp; Peer Advocates<\/strong>&nbsp;&#8211; Trained brokers and Advocates with lived experience are needed to make a rent-gap subsidy (housing vouchers) successful. They would help people obtain apartments and strengthen housing retention.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Create a Housing Task Force with a majority of members people impacted by homelessness to address the following:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Adding standing (the right to bring a case) to the source-of-income discrimination law in the City Code<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Providing oversight of the administration of rent-gap subsidy<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating an unlivable housing stock list<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review code enforcement to ensure habitable housing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create a SWOT analysis of current homelessness provider system<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Oversee and advise the implementation of the Action Plan to End Homelessness<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Amy D\u2019Amico, a housing justice advocate with Recovery All Ways who works at Center for Community Alternatives, explained, \u201cRight now, rent assistance from DHS for an individual with no income is $440 a month. The Fair Market Rent in our area is $839 for a studio. No wonder people get stuck in shelters. This proposal will allow people to obtain apartments and will decompress emergency shelters\u2013 and with the influx of unhoused refugees, it\u2019s not a moment too soon. I call on Adam Bello to support this Action Plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just this week, Empire Justice Center released a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/empirejustice.org\/news\/press-release-report-demonstrates-new-york-states-shelter-allowance-is-totally-inadequate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">major report<\/a>&nbsp;showing the state\u2019s shelter allowance is inadequate. This proposal follows the report\u2019s recommendations to fill in the gap for people with lower incomes who are seeking decent housing.<br>The Action Plan to End Homelessness can be found at&nbsp;monroehousingplan.com. We invite community members to provide feedback and share their ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Local leaders, housing experts and people with lived experience with homelessness gathered to announce a major plan to tackle Rochester\u2019s housing crisis. The Action Plan to End Homelessness calls on Monroe County to expand programs that work and fund new, evidence-based programs. The plan would provide housing to all who seek emergency assistance, including in&hellip; <a class=\"continue\" href=\"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/?p=1742\">Continue Reading<span> Action Plan to End Homelessness Announced<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"spectra_blocks_featured_image_url":null,"spectra_blocks_author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Barnhart","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8668089d3b1c60b2b1f51f9c490f09dbcbed1353b6c7df228edda0e90124e38d?s=96&d=mm&r=g","author_link":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/?author=1","description":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1742"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1744,"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1742\/revisions\/1744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rachbarnhart.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}