Commissioner Martin on supportive housing and syringe redemption program

Whether New Yorkers are struggling with substance use, mental illness, or transitioning out of incarceration, they need the same things we do to know that they are not alone and to have a safe place to come home to.

We recognize that affordable, stable housing is a starting point for recovery.

And so we're determined to get as many New Yorkers as possible housed and connected to resources.

We remain committed to the goal of the 15 over 15 program to develop 15,000 units of supportive housing, which provide affordable, independent, and permanent homes to New Yorkers who are unhoused.

And either have or are at risk of having a serious mental illness or a substance use disorder.

This year, we surpassed 13,000 units of both 15 over 15 units and state-city partnership program units.

We are well on our way to meeting or exceeding our goal.

Approximately 13% of our supportive housing units serve families with children.

About 5% serve young adults.

In aggregate, that's more than 2,000 units that are providing New Yorkers with stability early in their lives.

All 13,000 of these apartments provide long-term solutions.

Our data shows that for people moving out of supportive housing, the average length of stay is 7.6 years.

These units are a lifeline for thousands of our neighbors, especially in one of the most expensive cities in the world.

In this year's executive budget, I'm particularly proud to see the necessary funding to turn our community syringe redemption pilot program into a mainstay initiative.

That program offers payment for the collection and safe disposal of used syringes in public spaces.

Participants receive guidance on how to safely dispose of syringes and are paid 20 cents a syringe for up to $10 a day.

In the first year alone, that program was responsible for the collection of more than 1.7 million syringes and enrolled over 1,800 participants.

That's 1.7 million syringes safely discarded away from public reach.

By every metric, it was a remarkable success.

That's reflected in the testimonials of participants.

One of our earliest adopters said this program gave them a reason to not reuse needles.

While removing litter is one small piece of a larger ecosystem for harm reduction and recovery, it's making a tangible difference in our communities.

The syringe redemption program is complemented by the ongoing work of our outreach and syringe litter programs, who also offer naloxone,

Referrals to New Yorkers who frequent the high-use areas our teams prioritize.

Every outreach and syringe litter team partners with a syringe service program.

These SSPs provide overdose prevention education, HIV and hepatitis C testing, and referrals to a range of health and social services.

There are 14 SSPs across the city, and they provide services at both brick and mortar locations and through mobile vehicles.

Their work reaches approximately 22,000 people a year.

I'm grateful to see the value of the Serene Redemption Program and the larger harm reduction work it's part of be recognized by our city budget.