Headlines about vacant supportive housing apartments are alarming. Even if the problem is getting better, with so many people still homeless, how could any unit go unused?
Recent legislation, sponsored by Councilmember Lincoln Restler, will add a necessary layer of transparency to the process of filling supportive housing vacancies. While this doesn’t go into effect until 2026, it is anticipated that the new dashboard of vacancies will illuminate where in the process the hiccups may be. With a city of over 8 million people, and an estimated 350,000 of whom are unhoused, the system is overwhelmed and needs additional staffing on the city side, and more housing options to provide homes for all.
The most common assumptions – non-profits are refusing “hard” cases, or shared housing no longer make sense – are not the reality. The truth is more complex – and rooted in the human side of how supportive housing actually works.
Start with the city’s ambitious referral system, known as CAPS. While recent efforts have made it run more smoothly, getting it off the ground was not easy. A work in progress, even now referral packages may lack key information, or the person referred never shows up for their appointment. Add in delays caused by the pandemic, when city agencies lost staff and are still rebuilding capacity, and it’s easy to see how a process meant to take weeks can stretch into months or longer.
Even once a referral comes through, there’s a long line of sign offs needed before anyone gets keys. In some cases, four separate government agencies have a role. It only takes one delay – or two agencies with conflicting rules – for an apartment to sit empty far longer than anyone wants. For a person in shelter, or a case worker trying to fill a bed, supportive housing can feel like a maze.
Another challenge relates to who is being referred. Permanent supportive housing was designed for people who can live independently, with services offered but never forced. Increasingly, however, many referrals are for people who need more, including hands-on help with medications, making meals, or managing money. These are crucial supports, but supportive housing isn’t always permitted or funded to provide them. Years ago, people with those needs would have gone into specialized residences or hospitals. Today, because those options are so limited, supportive housing must strain to bridge gaps it was never intended, empowered or resourced to fill.
And then there’s shared housing. It is sometimes dismissed as outdated, but ask many of the people who live there and you’ll hear a different story. At Brooklyn Community Housing & Services, for example, residents in our shared apartments had our lowest COVID-19 infection rates during the pandemic. Why? Because they weren’t isolated. They cooked together, checked on each other, and reminded one another to stay safe and follow precautions. For people at risk of loneliness and depression, that sense of community is lifesaving. The problem isn’t the model – it’s that these buildings are older and often look worn down after decades without enough funding for repairs. With investment, shared housing can shine again.
The truth is this: supportive housing works. Every day, heroic frontline staff show up to make sure tens of thousands of vulnerable New Yorkers – children, families, adults – have a safe home and someone to turn to. The vacancies aren’t about refusal or neglect. They’re about systems that need to be fixed, buildings that need investment, and a mismatch between some people’s needs and the tools available to help them.
The good news is we know how to solve this. Further streamline the referral and intake process. Invest even more in renovating older housing, including shared units. And build more options for people who need higher levels of care.
Supportive housing is one of the city’s greatest success stories. Let’s not lose sight of that. With the right attention and resources, those vacant apartments won’t be symbols of failure – they’ll be symbols of hope, full of life, laughter, and second chances. They’ll be homes.
Jeff Nemetsky
Chief Executive Officer
