In 2019, after a decade of substantial federal support and dedicated efforts by advocates, housing providers, and elected officials, New York had the nation’s second-lowest rate of veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness — an almost 79 percent reduction since 2009.
That same year, communities across the state — including Albany — declared that they had effectively ended chronic long-term veteran homelessness, which the federal government defines as the ability to place individuals in permanent homes within 90 days or less.
Two short years later, these significant accomplishments in protecting a vulnerable population whose members served our country are under threat as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The financial strain of the COVID crisis, coupled with a shortage of affordable housing, could lead to an unprecedented wave of veteran homelessness in the coming months.
We recently celebrated the bravery and sacrifice of military members on Veteran’s Day, we must redouble our efforts to prevent that wave from cresting.
The unfortunate truth is that being a veteran drastically increases an individual’s risk of becoming homeless. Though only 7 percent of the general U.S. population has served in the
Armed Forces, nearly 13 percent of homeless adults are veterans. As of January 2020, approximately 1,200 veteran households in New York alone were experiencing homelessness.
Supportive housing — affordable developments with on-site services like mental health counseling, job training, childcare, addiction treatment and more — is a proven tool for ending chronic homelessness among difficult-to-house populations, including veterans, who often struggle with challenges like substance abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder and lack a stable family or social network.
For several years, Beacon Communities, a privately owned real estate firm that develops, acquires, invests in, and manages multi-family housing, has been seeking state approval for a proposed veterans housing project at 35 Broadway in the Village of Menands. With the numbers of homeless veterans on the rise, this development is needed now more than ever before — especially as Menands has not shared in the recent surge in housing development seen in the adjacent City of Albany.
Beacon is partnering with Soldier On, a nonprofit organization that has been providing homeless veterans with transitional housing, permanent housing, and supportive services since 1994, and currently serves more than 220 Capital Region veterans annually. The organization will ensure that the veteran population at 35 Broadway has access to an array of supportive services funded by the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative.
Beacon’s proposed project will feature one newly constructed four-story apartment building with 67 one-bedroom units that provide affordable, high-quality housing for individuals with an income below 60 percent of the Area Median Income. Thirty-five units will be reserved for very low-income veterans who are either homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
Veteran residents will have access to supportive services provided and coordinated by Soldier On and the Homeless Travelers Aid Society of Albany, including case management, peer recovery support for those with chronic addictions, education and employment resources, mental health resources, medical assistance, and financial assistance.
This project has strong support from a local and state officials in the Village of Menands, the Town of Colonie and Albany County. It has received all the necessary prerequisite site approvals from the village Planning Board.
In the three months since she took office, Gov. Kathy Hochul has demonstrated a commitment to making the investments necessary to combat homelessness across the state and expanding access to critical resources and services for vulnerable, disadvantaged New Yorkers. She also pledged to spend $20 billion “over the next few years” to develop new affordable housing in the state.
The proposed partnership between Soldier On and Beacon Communities — two organizations with proven track records of supporting veterans and helping keep them safely housed — will help alleviate the shortage of supportive housing available for homeless veterans throughout the Capital Region. We are committed to helping members of this heroic community find peace through housing stability, economic success, and the ability to once again be fully franchised citizens of the country they bravely served.
Bruce Buckley is president and CEO of Solider On, a Massachusetts-based private nonprofit organization committed to ending veteran homelessness.