HOUSING
Assessment of Optimal Population Mix for the Battery Park City Project—In 1986, WRI helped Battery Park City Authority officials to identify and plan services that would help to build a sense of community while preserving the overall integrity of the Battery Park City project in Lower Manhattan. Besides identifying specific services that could be made available, WRI considered various mechanisms for planning, coordinating, and providing services, including active participation by residents in developing and allocating resources.
Assistance to Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Companies—In 1984, WRI contracted with the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal to provide and coordinate technical assistance and develop training materials for staff and board members of preservation companies, which are nonprofit, community-based corporations established to help communities address their needs for better housing. The training materials included an organization manual and audiovisual presentations.
Home-Ownership Transfer Project—To deal with the problem of abandoned housing, the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) pilot-tested a new approach that would enable interested tenant groups to purchase abandoned apartment buildings and convert them to cooperatives. This approach involved the cooperation of nonprofit agencies and the private sector, as well as government agencies, to provide suitable tenant groups with loans, training, and other forms of assistance. The Community Service Society (CSS) implemented this program under contract to the HPD. In 1983, WRI evaluated the project for its feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and potential for replication.
Housing Study—On behalf of the New York State Department of Social Services, WRI conducted a study to analyze the housing needs of low-income families in New York State, particularly those families receiving public assistance. The 1976 study explored the relationship of NYSDSS shelter funds to other state, federal, and municipal housing programs and examined the impact of the State Administrative Rent Ceilings on public housing in different localities.
Shelter Development Project—The Community Service Society (CSS), through its Shelter Development Project, provided technical assistance to community-based voluntary organizations to establish or improve the operation of shelters for the homeless in New York City. In 1985, CSS subcontracted with WRI to conduct a management audit in three shelters, to design an accounting system and budgetary planning model, to train the staff of these three programs in accounting and budget planning, and to implement the accounting and budgetary system in one program.
Technical Assistance to Homeless Housing Assistance Program Grantees—Under the Homeless Housing Assistance Program, the New York State Department of Social Services funded local agencies to provide shelter and needed services to homeless persons. In 1984, WRI assisted the agencies directly (for example, providing financial management, accounting, board development, corporate legal services) and served as case manager for other types of assistance (architecture and engineering) provided by other contractors.
Technical Assistance in Low-Income Housing—New York State established a Housing Trust Fund, to be administered under the direction of the State’s Housing Finance Agency and Division of Housing and Community Renewal. In 1986, WRI assisted both of these agencies in a variety of tasks, including the development and implementation of a low-income housing rehabilitation program with associated regulations and administrative procedures.
Training of Staff in Shelter Programs for the Homeless—Building on the experience gained in the previous Shelter Development Project, in 1987 WRI worked cooperatively with Henry Street Settlement in New York City to upgrade the operation of programs, both upstate and in New York City, that provide emergency shelter for the homeless. WRI provided management training to the staff of shelters operated by both private groups and public agencies.