Bridging Divides for Housing Stability: Coalition-Led Expansion of City Housing Vouchers in the FY27 Budget

Organization Name: Women in Need, Inc.

Project Title: Bridging Divides for Housing Stability: Coalition-Led Expansion of City Housing Vouchers in the FY27 Budget

Project Location: Citywide

Project Description:
Win led a historic, cross-sector advocacy campaign uniting real estate groups, people with lived experience of homelessness, affordable and supportive housing providers, and an array of advocacy organizations to secure a landmark $175 million inclusion in the FY27 NYC budget for housing vouchers. This critical financial commitment represents the culmination of years of relentless public mobilization, litigation, and legislative battles championed by Win. By helping pass voucher expansion legislation in 2023, pushing for successful veto overrides, supporting parallel litigation, and keeping the issue front and center in the news, the campaign ensured that New Yorkers experiencing homelessness were no longer overlooked in the City budget. This funding successfully resolves prolonged litigation and implements vital housing voucher expansion through a new City program known as the City Housing Assistance Program (CHAP). Furthermore, this victory united landlords and tenants, injecting much-needed financial stability into New York’s housing infrastructure while ensuring unhoused and low-income New Yorkers have the support necessary to secure and maintain stable homes.

Community Impact:
The campaign fundamentally shifted municipal priorities to place homelessness and housing affordability at the forefront of the FY27 budget, delivering life-changing direct impacts for New Yorkers experiencing or at risk of homelessness through the new City Housing Assistance Program (CHAP). By providing targeted rental assistance, CHAP will provide nearly 6000 households who were previously ineligible for housing assistance with a pathway to permanent housing. This critical new program will infuse financial support into the NYC housing market and restore dignity, safety, and a brighter future to thousands of our most vulnerable neighbors.

Organization Description:
Win is the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families experiencing homelessness in New York City and the nation, operating 16 shelters and over 450 units of supportive housing across all five boroughs. For over 40 years, Win has provided safe housing, trauma-informed services, and innovative programs to help families rebuild their lives. In the past year, Win served nearly 12,400 people – including over 6,700 children – and helped over 1,000 families transition out of shelter into homes of their own.

Team Members:

Key partners include the Homes Can’t Wait Coalition, individuals with lived experience, The Legal Aid Society, NYC Council, and real estate leaders including REBNY and the NY Housing Conference.