City increasing emergency domestic violence housing

The city is planning to increase emergency housing for thousands of homeless adults and children fleeing domestic violence, the latest effort by the de Blasio administration to address the city’s growing homelessness problem.

Plans would see emergency housing provided for as many as 13,300 adults and children, up from 8,880 currently served by city-funded programs providing shelter beds and transitional apartments for domestic violence victims.

The city has allocated almost $15 million in emergency funding for the initiative, according to the New York Times, and is seeking bids from shelter and housing providers.

Domestic violence has been a leading cause of homelessness, particularly among women and children. The city has seen a gap in services for several years, Human Resources Administration commissioner Steven Banks said — with 628 beds for domestic violence victims and their children added between 2002 and 2009, but none since.

The de Blasio administration has clashed with city comptroller Scott Stringer over the payment of contracts to nonprofits providing beds and units to the homeless populace, with Stringer holding up funds and criticizing conditions at shelters.

The mayor acknowledged the city’s homelessness problem earlier this month and also recently announced the resignation of homelessness czar Lilliam Barrios-Paoli, the deputy mayor of health and human services. [NYT] – Rey Mashayekhi