‘Supportive housing alone may not be a cure-all solution for mentally ill homeless individuals’

The city recently shared data that highlights the challenges in addressing homelessness as an affordable-housing issue: Politico reported that the city’s main supportive-housing program, NYC 15/15, is not meeting its production targets.

Initially set a decade ago, this initiative committed to creating 15,000 units.

However, less than 4,000 units have been completed.

It is evident that New York cannot solve homelessness through housing alone, so it might be time for progressives to reassess their opposition to alternative solutions like psychiatric hospitalization and law enforcement.

Supportive housing combines affordable rents with behavioral health services and is designed for the most severely chronically homeless individuals.

Originating in New York in the 1980s, it has received strong political backing and generous funding over the years.

Federal data shows that New York has the highest number of supportive-housing units in the country, surpassing Los Angeles City and County by 60%.

Throughout the terms of the Dinkins, Giuliani, and Bloomberg administrations, in collaboration with the state government, 14,115 units were constructed.

With a projected 15,000 units, NYC 15/15, initiated by the de Blasio administration in 2015 and continued by the Adams administration, surpasses the efforts of all previous mayors combined.

(Another state initiative, the 20,000-unit Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, began in 2016.)

There is a strong progressive advocacy for supportive housing, with many insisting it is the only viable solution to homelessness.

Despite New York’s substantial investment in supportive housing, it has become evident that developing units at a pace to significantly reduce homelessness is a challenging task for any government.

Recent reports in Los Angeles have highlighted the inefficiencies in their supportive-housing initiative, leading to diminished public support for homeless housing investments in California.

Research shows that multiple units are often required to reduce homelessness in a local area by just one individual, even when supportive housing programs are successful.

New York is unlikely to move away from supportive housing anytime soon, as it remains a crucial solution for many of the city’s homeless population.

However, the challenges in developing supportive housing are expected to increase in the future, with issues such as finding landlords willing to participate and competition with other rental assistance programs.

It is important to acknowledge that supportive housing is not a standalone solution for individuals with serious mental health issues or addiction.

As funding competition tightens and maintenance costs rise, New York will need to address the balance between expanding supportive housing and maintaining existing units.

While supportive housing is valuable, it should be viewed as a complement to other services like mental health facilities and jails, rather than a replacement for them.

Stephen Eide is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, a contributing editor of City Journal, and the author of Homelessness in America.