198 permanent supportive housing units. That is the identified capacity across Onondaga County for the most resource-intensive category of homeless housing — indefinite rental assistance paired with case management for individuals who are chronically homeless and disabled. Helio Health alone operates 159 of those units.
The other side of the pipeline is Rapid Rehousing: time-limited assistance — up to 24 months — designed to move people from shelter to lease as fast as possible. Both programs are funded through HUD’s Continuum of Care, administered locally by the Housing and Homelessness Coalition of Central New York.
The Continuum of Care: NY-505
The NY-505 Continuum of Care covers Onondaga, Oswego, and Cayuga counties. The lead agency is the Housing and Homelessness Coalition of CNY, affiliated with United Way of Central New York. Director: Megan Stuart. Contact: [email protected], (315) 428-2224. Address: P.O. Box 2129, Syracuse, NY 13220.
All referrals for both Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing go through the Coordinated Entry system maintained by the Coalition. There is no way to self-refer into PSH. An individual must be assessed through Coordinated Entry, scored for vulnerability, and matched to an available slot.
Rapid Rehousing
Rapid Rehousing provides security deposits, moving expenses, household items, and monthly rental assistance that typically decreases over time as the household stabilizes. The target population is individuals and families experiencing homelessness.
The local providers:
Helio Health FAST Housing — Housing First rapid rehousing serving a minimum of 20 homeless individuals annually. Rental assistance for up to 24 months, with an average stay of 12 months. Includes case management and care coordination. 518 James Street, Syracuse, NY 13203. (315) 472-9964.
Salvation Army HALE RRH — Assists 25 homeless adults in securing affordable housing with ongoing case management.
Catholic Charities Rapid Rehousing — Deposits, rental assistance, case management, and community service linkages.
Additional programs include Barnabas Rapid Rehousing and CAP HUD RRH for Families.
HUD’s 2024 CoC awards for NY-505 included $195,546 for RRH renewal and $1,133,144 across two joint Transitional Housing/Rapid Rehousing projects.
Permanent Supportive Housing
PSH is for individuals who meet HUD’s definition of chronic homelessness: a person with a disability who has lived in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or emergency shelter for at least 12 continuous months — or on at least four separate occasions in the last three years totaling at least 12 months. Institutional stays under 90 days do not count as breaks in homelessness.
Tenants get a private apartment and pay approximately 30 percent of their income toward rent. Assistance is indefinite. There is no time limit.
The local providers and their unit counts:
Helio Health Housing First: 49 units for chronically homeless individuals with substance use disorder, mental illness, or physical disability.
Helio Health KEES II: 48 units for homeless individuals with qualifying disabilities.
Helio Health (additional programs): 32 units across two smaller programs.
Liberty Resources HUD PSH: 29 units scattered across Onondaga County for chronically homeless individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions.
Salvation Army PSH: 16 units for formerly homeless women in one-bedroom apartments.
Housing Visions (Ethel T. Chamberlain House): 16 units.
Catholic Charities Housing Services Center: 8 units, part of a new $13.9 million Housing Services Center in Onondaga County announced by Governor Hochul.
HUD’s 2024 CoC awards for NY-505 PSH included $1,046,145 and $2,265,685 across two Catholic Charities permanent housing programs for the chronically homeless.
The Numbers
The 2024 Point-in-Time Count for the three-county region recorded 1,192 homeless individuals. 526 were family members — 52 percent of the total. For the first time in more than a decade, family homelessness outpaced individual homelessness in Central New York. At least 50 people were unsheltered, up 75 percent from 29 in 2023. Overall homelessness has risen over 60 percent since 2019.
198 PSH units against a homeless population of nearly 1,200. The math does not resolve itself.
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