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January 2010
NCS Opens New Shelter
With the loss of NCS's drop-in center and three others in Manhattan, the number of people living on our streets, on the steps of our churches and synagogues, and using food programs, pantries and other services has and continues to increase. Addressing the needs of the people on the steps is of particular importance to the host churches.
In response to the desperate need for shelter during these frigid winter months for this group and others on the streets, NCS, in collaboration with the Manhattan Outreach Consortium (MOC) operated by Goddard Riverside Community Center and Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, opened a 12-bed overnight shelter for those men in January. New York City's Department of Homeless Services is providing funding to keep the shelter open from January through June, Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church is providing space, and other churches and synagogues are helping to supplement food and toiletries.
Because it has staffing and is professionally supervised, this shelter is able to serve people directly from the streets who are not eligible for volunteer-run overnight shelters. Outreach workers are able to engage the guests, where they are indoors and safe, to participate in other services, including a move from the streets to the transitional or permanent housing provided by NCS and other organizations. Together with MOC and our community partners, we will be seeking other alliances to help continue operating this shelter after June.
March 2009
Louis Nine House Opens
Louis Nine House, our newly constructed residence with 46 studio apartments for young adults who are homeless or aging out of foster care, has just opened in the Bronx. Excited residents have been moving in to the green building and getting to know staff and each other over recent weeks. Several years ago, NCS noticed an increase in the number of young men and women with a history of foster care using our drop-in center, and learned that the Department of Health and Human Services had recently identified the link between foster care and future homelessness as a "high-priority problem". Three in ten of the nation's homeless adults have a history of foster care. In New York State, a thousand youth age out of foster care annually and 36% experience homelessness. NCS created a cutting-edge solution to sever the link between foster care and homelessness. Louis Nine House provides a holistic and nurturing environment where young adults have the best possible chance of moving on to lives of independence and fulfillment.
December 2008
NCS Publishes Second Research Study
Since 2000 NCS has been researching the psychiatric characteristics of chronically homeless individuals in an effort to better understand their complex needs and improve services for this vulnerable population. In 2005, the results of NCS's first study were published in The Journal of Comprehensive Psychiatry. The results of NCS's second research study were recently published in The Journal of Personality Disorders, Vol.22 (6).
In 2000, NCS partnered with Dr. Samuel Ball, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Yale Medical School, to implement a cognitive-behavioral intervention that would help case managers improve engagement, bolster trust in the professional relationship and increase the housing rate among chronically homeless men and women. Although this intervention seemed promising, the results indicated a prevalence of certain unexpected personality traits and called for further research. NCS funded this second research study, and the third study, funded by the National Alliance on Schizophrenia and Depression, will be published in 2010.
NCS's findings have sparked discussion at the national level as service providers, academic institutions and government policy makers expressed interest in expanding this research to other parts of the country. It is also believed that personality disorders are prevalent in jail and prison populations, and a study is underway to compare our results with those of incarcerated individuals. These populations have a tendency to overlap, as individuals recently released from incarceration are frequent users of shelters and drop-in centers.
Prior to NCS's studies, there had been little research on the full spectrum of personality disorders occurring in chronically homeless adults. A systemic error was to dismiss these bona fide psychiatric conditions as "difficult behaviors." By identifying the prevalence of personality disorders in difficult-to-serve populations, NCS's goal is to better inform policy makers and service providers about strategies for engagement and optimum service delivery models. In this way hard-to-reach and vulnerable individuals can receive the services they need and we can break the cycle of chronic homelessness.
November 2008
NCS Awarded $25,000 Grant from TD Charitable Foundation
On November 29, 2008, representatives from TD Banknorth Inc. visited the NCS Residence and presented a $25,000 grant to the Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter (NCS). Photo on home page shows presentation. The funding will be used to help identify and develop sites on which to build new units of affordable housing. This year, the TD Charitable Foundation's "Housing for Everyone" program contributed nearly $5 million to 48 local affordable housing organizations from Maine to Florida. NCS was one of four recipients in the New York Metro area, selected to receive funding out of a total 89 proposals submitted.
"Through our 'Housing for Everyone' program, we've invested nearly $5 million to date to help make shelter —- one of life's basic needs — available to thousands of people in our communities," said Elizabeth K. Warn, President of the TD Charitable Foundation and Executive Vice President of Community Development for TD Banknorth. "We're especially pleased to extend this support to both Commerce Bank and TD Banknorth's markets, and help even more organizations make a meaningful difference in the affordable housing landscape of their community."
About the TD Charitable Foundation
The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank N.A., which operates under the trade names TD Banknorth and Commerce Bank and is one of the 20 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to serve the individuals, families and businesses in all the communities where TD Banknorth and Commerce Bank operate, having made more than $39 million in charitable donations since its inception in 2002. The efforts of the Foundation are coordinated locally through TD Banknorth's and Commerce Bank's community relations departments and are focused on the areas of economic empowerment, youth development and community support. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation including an online grant application is available at www.TDBanknorth.com or at www.commerceonline.com.
September 2008
Bronxscape: An Exciting New Green Project
Louis Nine House, NCS's new "green" residence for young adults who are aging out of foster care or are homeless, was lucky enough to be selected as the 2008 project for Parsons School of Design's annual Design Workshop, an intensive 15-week course whereby Department of Architecture, Interior Design and Lighting grad students work directly with a nonprofit client to design and then fabricate a project.
The 14 students have transformed the building's basic green roof into "Bronxscape," 3,500 square feet of communal rooftop space where residents can relax, socialize and even plant their own garden. In line with the "green" design and construction used throughout the building, the vegetation on the green roof keeps the building cooler, saves energy, and extends the life of the roof.
Bronxscape was recently featured in "talkcontract" Contract magazine's blog for the commercial design industry.
http://www.talkcontract.com/2009/03/little-slice-of-heaven.html
June 2008
NCHP Closes Due to NYC Budget and Policy Changes
Neighborhood Center for Homeless People (NCHP), NCS's drop-in/ referral center at 237 East 77th Street, closed on June 25, 2008, after 19 years of service, due to the City's budgetary and policy changes. We can no longer accept referrals or provide services to the homeless men and women in our community at this facility. For additional information, click here to read a letter from Anne R. Teicher, Chief Executive Officer.
February 2008
NCS Selected as Semi-Finalist in 2008 New York Times Nonprofit Excellence Award
NCS has been selected as one of ten semi-finalists for The 2008 New York Times Nonprofit Excellence Awards. The Awards will recognize four New York City area nonprofit organizations for management excellence and encourage innovation and communication among New York's large and diverse nonprofit community. http://www.nytimes.whsites.net/communityaffairs/programs/nonprofit.html
November 2007
Outpatient Services Opens
NCS's recently opened state-licensed chemical dependency treatment program is designed specifically to address the needs of homeless and formerly homeless men and women. NCS’s Outpatient Services provides alcohol and drug education, individual and group sessions, psychiatric services and acupuncture daily. Individuals are referred through Neighborhood Center for Homeless People (NCHP), NCS’s transitional and permanent residences, as well as through our partnering agencies, Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and Yorkville Common Pantry. Located in Madison Avenue Presbyterian Church, Outpatient Services is licensed by The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS). Fifty-two percent of NCS clients have a history of substance abuse and many are dually-diagnosed with mental illness, creating challenges to sustaining employment and housing. Through offering chemical dependency treatment that addresses the specific needs of chronically homeless individuals, NCS is providing a much-needed support in the path to recovery.