UPSTREAM2025 leads discussion on growing NYC affordable housing and ending homelessness

UPSTREAM 2025: Frontline Solutions to Homelessness hosted by City and State NY and the national homelessness services nonprofit HELP USA explored the current state of the affordable housing crisis and homelessness in New York City along with its potential solutions.

HELP USA President and CEO Dan Lehman welcomed nearly 300 attendees to the event Thursday at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in Lower Manhattan, setting the context of the day. 

In opening remarks, Deputy Mayor for Housing, Economic Development, and Workforce Adolfo Carrión Jr. cited his career in politics and public service working to promote more housing opportunities in his native New York City.

“While I was at the helm of (Housing, Preservation and Development), we broke records, producing housing and connecting New Yorkers to affordable housing,” recalling when he led the city agency. “Two years running, we broke records, and I expect that this year we will do that again,” Carrión Jr. said, helping establish the tone for the event. 

He also praised Mayor Eric Adams’ affordable housing initiatives, investing $24.7 billion over a ten-year capital strategy plan that includes the City of Yes housing component, as well as converting commercial property into residential. 

Following the deputy mayor’s remarks, National Alliance to End Homelessness CEO, Ann Oliva, made a point that homelessness and affordable housing are “inextricably linked” during her opening plenary. “Rather than focusing on the differences between homelessness and the affordable housing sectors and related crisis, I would challenge us to instead think about how we can change the way we talk and go about our work to anchor solutions like housing and services to fight for abundant housing for everyone together,” Oliva told attendees.

The first panel Policy: The Housing Crisis IS the Homeless Crisis, moderated by Chief Philanthropy Officer at Trinity Church Wall Street Bea de la Torre, discussed the disconnect between policy and actual implementation. One of the panelists, New York University professor of law and faculty director of NYU's Furman Center Vicki Been, said regulatory system agencies including zoning and building code requirements have stymied the progress for affordable housing

”We’re in a situation now where it costs much more to build an affordable housing unit than the median cost of housing across the United States,” Been told attendees. “Yes all those regulations do good things but in total they mean that housing is just too expensive for what people make.”

During the second panel Practice: From Crisis to Stability – The Reality of Finding & Staying Housed in NYC, moderated by Robin Hood’s Senior Program Officer for Housing, Adults & Household Supports, panelists spoke about the roadblocks that those transitioning out of shelter and into permanent housing face such as administrative issues that prolong the placement process. CEO of New York Apartment Association and former Assembly Member Kenny Burgos, said minor trivial inspection processes set up affordable rent stabilized housing units to fail easily and delay moving in for potential renters. 

“Inspections matter,” Burgos said. “But what we're seeing is some of our owners is that, you know, some of these inspections can fail for some really almost comedic things, if you will. I mean, there is a perfect case of inspective failing for a cracked outlet.”

“And again, that can hold a danger, but this is a 25 cent outlet plate that can be fixed, probably in 30 minutes, but unfortunately, it starts an inspection cycle all over again,” Burgos added.

On the same panel, New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park said the city is working with people like Burgos to ensure that the inspection process is thorough but they are reviewing their inspection standards. “There's going to always be something that is just outside the bounds of what's okay, but we can minimize that,” she said.

Wasow also said that recent policies like the Adams administration’s revamp of the 15/15 Supportive Housing Initiative are shifting the city’s focus to congregate, single-site models signify growth.

A spotlight discussion featured CEO of Robert Craig Films Jennifer Stolo and president and CEO of The Gathering Inn, as well as film consultant, Keith Diederich about the studio’s film “No Address.” The fictional tale is based on the true stories of people experiencing homelessness in America, and was accompanied by a documentary that emerged during the research phase of creating the film. A keynote conversation followed between Brian Goldstone, author of “There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America” and HELP USA COO  Daniel Farrell, about Goldstone’s work exploring the systemic roots of the housing crisis through on the ground reporting in cities like Atlanta. 

The event concluded with the panel Forecast: Expanding Housing Solutions – Can NYC Build Its Way Out?, moderated by president of Monadnock Development, Kirk Goodrich. The discussion brought up innovative solutions to create housing stability. Co-founder and managing partner of Maycomb Capital Andi Phillips said that corporate-backed social impact funding is a viable strategy. 

“We're not replacing philanthropy, we're just helping philanthropy go further, and we're also tapping into government and other funding and helping work together,” Phillips said. 

Nadine Maleh, principal at Community Solutions, said the organization was bridging the “housing system” and “homeless response system” in cities across the nation to increase the supply of affordable housing. 

“What we're trying to do with [the] purchasing of these units and communities is understanding who's actively homeless in the community finding,” she said. “What are their needs, and how do we connect them to housing that makes exist their communities?”