CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-ny.org 

LONG OVERDUE: NYS LEGISLATURE FUNDS FRACTION OF HAVP OVER FOUR YEARS, VOCAL-NY REITERATES CALLS FOR A FULLY FUNDED VERSION

New Funding Will Save Lives, But Not Enough to Help More Than 158,000 Homeless New Yorkers and Many More Rent-Burdened Households At Risk of Homelessness

VOCAL-NY Reiterates Calls for Full $250 Million in Funding and Immediate Implementation

NEW YORK — Today, in response to final budget language showing the New York state budget will include a $50 million per year, four year version of the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP) – a fraction of what New Yorkers demanded – VOCAL-NY released the following statement, attributable to VOCAL-NY Homelessness Union Leaders:

“HAVP is an effective tool to end and prevent homelessness — something even Governor Hochul can’t deny anymore. This first set of vouchers will secure permanent housing for those who are homeless and keep others at risk of eviction in their homes.

When we see the positive impacts of this program after its first year, the Governor and the Legislature cannot remain content with simply allocating another $50 million. The Governor and the Legislature must fully fund and implement a permanent statewide rental assistance program to support communities from Brooklyn to Buffalo. 

We are grateful that Speaker Heastie, Majority Leader Cousins, our bill sponsors Senator Kavanagh, Assemblymember Rosenthal, and the Legislature heard our call and strongly fought for the Housing Access Voucher Program (HAVP). Without their leadership, Governor Hochul would have been content with going another year without establishing this vital program. The earlier reported deal of a 2-year program with a 2026 implementation start date at $50 million offered scraps that wouldn’t meet the need, especially for communities outside of New York City.

The federal government’s cuts are already here and will subject many more to homelessness. New Yorkers need a proactive state government that meaningfully protects them from homelessness, evictions, and poverty. HAVP has always been the way to offer that protection. State and public housing authorities know how to administer vouchers — now there’s no need to wait.”

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