The Network's Statement in Response to Governor Hochul's Adopted 2025-2026 State Budget

At a time of great uncertainty, Governor Hochul and the state Legislature made important progress by investing in housing and services to protect our most vulnerable New Yorkers.

Most notably, the New York State Supportive Housing Program (NYSSHP) is receiving an additional $17.8 million – the largest increase in its nearly 40-year history. This is a significant win for the supportive housing community and will help preserve some 9,000 NYSSHP units that are at risk of going offline. While the increase falls short of the $32 million sought by the Network for year one of a multi-year phase-in, this is an important step forward and will help keep individuals and families stably housed for years to come.

We are also encouraged by the inclusion of a per-unit rate increase for the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative (ESSHI) from $25,000 to $31,000 and $34,000 in the NYC metro area. The Network will work with officials to ensure that projects currently in the pipeline, but not yet open, can apply for these updated rates.

Regarding the $153 million appropriation for the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) and the 2.6% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), these increases only scratch the surface of what’s necessary in the face of the historic increase in homelessness across New York.

The HHAP appropriation is only a $25 million year-over-year increase, far below the $128 million the Network called for, and the 2.6% COLA falls disappointingly short of the 7.8% sought by the health and human services community. We will continue to work with our fellow advocates and legislative champions to ensure that our sector’s dedicated essential workers receive a living wage and to secure sufficient resources for HHAP.

We were pleased to see $2 million in the budget for the creation of a Behavioral Health Crisis Technical Assistance Center, which would help standardize protocols for community-based, public health-led response programs. This addition is the result of recommendations made by members of the Daniel’s Law Task Force and is an encouraging step forward, though we join our fellow advocates in expressing our dismay at the expansion of involuntary commitment for those who struggle with mental health challenges.

We are incredibly grateful for the advancements made in supportive housing in this year’s State budget, though we recognize our work is far from over. The Network remains committed to our mission to end homelessness. A well-funded, supportive housing system is the key to achieving that goal, and we will not rest until we realize it.

The Network’s Statement in Response to Governor Hochul’s Adopted 2025-2026 State Budget

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