In 2005, the Mayor announced a plan to reduce the
number of chronically street homeless adults in New
York City by two-thirds over five years. In response,
Goddard Riverside, the lead agency, and the Center
for Urban Community Services, the lead support agency,
along with five other neighborhood-based organizations
developed a model, the Manhattan Outreach Consortium.
It was selected by the City to provide outreach and
housing placement services to those living on the
streets. Through a new $4.5 million contract with
the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), the
Consortium is the single point of accountability in
the borough responsible for all outreach and housing
placement services.
Consortium Members
The Manhattan Outreach Consortium includes Goddard
Riverside Community Center (lead agency), Center for
Urban Community Services (lead support agency), Common
Ground Community, John Heuss House, Lenox Hill Neighborhood
House, The Bridge, Inc. and Urban Pathways. The Consortium
collectively represents over 150 years of successful
experience serving homeless people, including chronically
homeless individuals.
Neighborhood-based Model
The Manhattan Outreach Consortium will focus on moving
people off the streets and into permanent housing
as quickly as possible. Members are assigned to neighborhoods
they know well with long histories of addressing community
issues. Manhattan has been divided into seven
catchment areas with a single Consortium member
assigned to each area. The Consortium is coordinating
service delivery among its partners to eliminate duplication
and facilitate the sharing of information and continuity
of care. Service integration is paramount to the strength
of the initiative with measured performance objectives
and accountability closely monitored.
The Consortium maximizes the resources of each member
to expedite the placement of chronically homeless
individuals in Manhattan into permanent housing with
access to social, medical, mental health and substance
abuse services. This model is recognized as critical
to achieving long-term outcomes and meeting the goal
of informing a systemic change in the way outreach
to the homeless is currently conducted in New York
City.
Questions and Answers about
Goddard Riverside’s role with the Manhattan
Outreach Consortium.
To alert the Consortium of a homeless person in Manhattan
who needs help, call 311.
Contacts:
Kristen Edwards
Director, Manhattan Outreach Consortium
(212) 595-3066
Sarena Lewit
Director of Outreach and Housing Placement Program
Goddard Riverside Community Center
(212) 595-3066
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