Care for The Homeless Sponsors NYC Homeless Policy Forum 2015 Tomorrow

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8th, Care for the Homeless and Baruch College is sponsoring “New York Homeless Policy Forum 2015”, a  major policy symposium and public education event aimed at bringing people interested in homeless policy together to focus on how to produce better outcomes in New York’s homeless policy operation, do so more efficiently and move the city toward ending homelessness as we know it. The program, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., features top policy makers including New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, City Homeless Services Commissioner Gilbert Taylor, Public Advocate Letitia James and City Councilman Corey Johnson. All the schedule details are listed below.

Follow live tweeting from the Forum at #homelesspolicyNYC  


Jointly Sponsored by Baruch College’s Narendra Paul Loomba 
School of Management and Care for the Homeless

Wednesday, April 8, at Baruch College, Newman Library, 
Room 750, 151 East 25th Street (bet. Lexington and 3rd Ave.)

9-9:25 a.m.- Registration, Coffee and Networking         
9:25-9:30 a.m.-Welcome: Jeff Foreman, J.D., MGA, MS.Ed., MA, Policy Director, Care for the Homeless
9:30-9:40 a.m.-Presentation: Homeless Issues in New York City, Where We Stand? – Dr. John Goering, Professor, Baruch College
 9:40-10:40 a.m. - Scope, Scale and Overview of Homeless Issues in NYC: This panel serves as a New York City homeless policy and explores current trends and challenges. Includes analysis of how many people are homeless or at risk in New York City, the context of the current crisis, new and emerging city homelessness policy, NYC’s “right to shelter”, unique issues of homeless in NYC and what we’re doing right and wrong.

Topics/Goals:
o   Numbers and trends of those experiencing or at risk of homelessness
o   Why is homelessness growing in New York City as it appears to decline nationally?
o   What have we done right and wrong in New York City?
o   What is implication of right to shelter, what issues does it raise? What are current legal issues?
o   Discussion of homelessness feeder systems: (corrections, foster care, domestic abuse, etc.).
o   What needs to happen to end homelessness as we know it?
o   This panel will provide context for the day’s forum and discussions
·         Presentation: Commissioner Gilbert Taylor, New York City Department of Homeless Services (10 minutes)
o   Panel Moderator: Patrick Markee, Deputy Executive Director, Coalition for the Homeless
§  Joshua Goldfein, JD, Attorney, The Legal Aid Society/Homeless Rights Project
§  Letitia James, JD, Public Advocate for the City of New York
§  Gilbert Taylor, JD, Commissioner, NYC Department of Homeless Services
                                              
                                                                           10 min break

Break Out Panel Sessions (1st Break Out Round) 10:50-11:50 a.m.

10:50-11:50 a.m.-Panel: Stigmatization, Criminalization and Attacks On Homeless People. Panel will explore how and why we stigmatize homeless people; how the everyday activities of poor people and people experiencing homelessness are effected by stigmatization, societal attitudes towards poor and marginalized peoples, NIMBY attitudes towards shelters and other service locations for low-income New Yorkers and how societal attitudes contribute to an increase in “criminalization” of homelessness and poverty as well as attacks against homeless people. (Break Out Session 1, in Break Out Room #1)
Topics/Goals:
o   Two views of poverty – a personal failing or a societal responsibility
o   How daily activities of living without stable housing or in deep poverty are criminalized; “criminalizing” necessities of living or aid to people experiencing homelessness, unequal application of law, implication of ‘broken glass’ policing, targeting/hiding poor people from public view
o   Atmosphere of prejudice and stigma  against those perceived to be low-income and homeless
o   How societal attitude towards homeless people leads to psychological and physical brutality
o   What we can do to stop stigma, discrimination, criminalization and attacks on homeless people
o   Take Away: how stigmatization impacts poverty and homelessness and how we can ameliorate it
§  Moderator: Marc Greenberg, ED, Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing
§  Nicole Bramstedt, Policy Analyst, Urban Pathways
§  Lucinda Lewis, Picture the Homeless member, Housing Campaign Leader
§  Connor Hocks, Client Leader at Care for the Homeless and Ali Forney Center

10:50-11:50 a.m. – Panel: Children/Youth Homelessness in New York City. Panel will examine social and economic causes and impacts of dramatic increase in children in shelters and unaccompanied homeless youth, and resources available and required to ameliorate this crisis. (Break Out Session 2, In Main Conference Room, Room 750)

Topic/Goals:
o   Causes, issues & resources for children in shelter and unaccompanied homeless youth on the streets
o   The experience and impact of growing up without stable housing
o   What we’re doing right and what needs to be done better
o   What can be done to prevent or child and youth homelessness
o   Take away: How we can better serve children living in family shelters and youth living on the streets; how can we  prevent and end child homelessness
§  Moderator: Lizanne Fontaine, RN, JD, Director of Health Services, Care for the Homeless
§  Jack Bethke, MSW, Director of Drop In Programs, Ali Forney Center
§  Bonnie Stone, President and CEO, WIN
§  Clare Stone, MPH, CPH, Grants and Planning Administrator, NY Children’s Health Project
                                                                                                   
Lunch: 11:50 a.m-12:50 p.m. 

11:50 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Lunch, buffet style, served in room adjoining conference room, to be eaten at tables in conference room (buffet will remain open); if conference room is at capacity, can be eaten in the adjoining room
12:10 -12:15 p.m. – Carmine Asparro, Chairman, Care for the Homeless Board of Directors, Welcome, Brief remarks, Introduction of City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito:
12:15-12:45 p.m.  - Featured Speaker: New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, MPA (The Speaker will deliver remarks and take questions; she will be assisted in Q-and-A by Dr. Rogoff)
12:45-12:50p.m. Thank you and Concluding Remarks: Dr. Edward G. Rogoff, Professor and Department Chair, Narendra Paul Loomba Department of Management, Baruch College
5 minute break

Break Out Panel Sessions (2nd round) 12:55-1:55 p.m.

12:55-1:55 p.m.- Panel: Reimagining Living in and Operating Shelters: Suggestions for Better Outcomes. Former and current NYC shelter residents and shelter providers discuss making the system more effective, producing better outcomes and increasing the dignity afforded clients in the system. (Break Out Session 1; In Break Out Room #1)
o   Problems to solve in the system: issues of dignity and respect for homeless clients,
o   What services and resources are needed to produce better outcomes
o   How to make the system more productive and reduce unnecessary burdens on clients in shelter
o   Suggestions regarding assessment, programming, management, human resources  and more
o   Take-away: How to move to a client-centered shelter system focused on better outcomes.
§  Moderator: Chris Parque, MSW, ED, Homeless Services United
§  Selestina Martinez, Parent Organizer, Child Welfare Organizing Project
§  Philip Malebranche, CFH Client leader
§  Tata Traore-Rogers, CEO, Turning Point
§  Dale Williams, ED, Midnight Run

12:55-1:55 p.m.- Panel: Homelessness and Health Care: Public Health Issues and Impacts on People Experiencing Homelessness. This panel will address homelessness as a public health issue, its impact on city health resources and health impacts of homelessness on children and adults experiencing it. Panelists will discuss what’s being done and what systems and resources are needed to best address health care access and provision of health services for homeless people, how to get better outcomes and how to deliver care most efficiently. (Break Out Session 2; In Main Conference Room, Room 750)

Topics/Goals:
o   Is homelessness a public health issue?
o   How to best facilitate supplying best services and outcomes? What are provider issues?
o   What are the impacts and costs of homelessness on children and adults?
o   Is health care for the homeless a medical specialty?
o   What has the city done right and wrong? What needs to be done?
o   Take-away: Impact of health care issues, what are best practices, what works and what doesn’t
§  Moderator: Debbian Fletcher-Blake, FNP, Ass’t. Executive Director, Care for the Homeless
§  Dr. Neil Calman, M.D., President and CEO, Institute for Family Health
§  Aaron Felder, Assistant VP for Special Populations, Lutheran Family Services
§  City Councilman Corey Johnson, Chair, City Council Health Committee
§  John Lozier, MSSW, ED, National Health Care for the Homeless Council

                                         10 min break

2:05-3:05 p.m.-Panel: Extremely-Low-Income Housing Market- Availability for New Yorkers Living Below Poverty. Panel explores current availability of housing units for extremely-low income and below poverty New Yorkers including people with subsidized vouchers, trends in very-low income housing and what needs to be done to provide stable housing for people experiencing homelessness. 

Topics/Goals:
o   Impact of rent control and stabilization, Supportive Housing, Section 8, city subsidy programs, NYCHA and other public housing resources
o   Changing housing stock: Disappearance of SRO and other affordable housing, trends in housing for extremely-low income New Yorkers and people living in deep poverty
o   How Mayor’s Affordable Housing Plan and inclusionary zoning will affect low income New Yorkers
o   Current issues: City’s LINC program; New York/New York 4; tax abatement issues and more
o   What are solutions and needed improvements in housing for extremely-low income New Yorkers
Moderator: Nicole Branca, Deputy Executive Director, Supportive Housing Network of New York
§  Daniel Farrell, LCSW, Vice President, HELP USA
§  Tom Waters, Senior Housing Policy Analyst, Community Service Society of NY
§  Jessica Yager, Policy Director, NYU Furman Center
3:05- 3:25 p.m. - Conclusion and Final Remarks: Bobby Watts, MPH, MS, Executive Director, Care for the Homeless, Can We End Modern Day Homelessness in New York City?

While at the Forum, please visit our information/sign up tables in the lobby by the registration desk for information about ongoing activities, upcoming events and to sign up for e-mail alerts and newsletters. 

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