{"id":40191,"date":"2026-04-17T11:59:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:59:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/?p=40191"},"modified":"2026-04-17T11:59:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T11:59:47","slug":"governor-kathy-hochul-announced-the-groundbreaking-on-34-unit-specialized-housing-building-to-provide-stability-for-vulnerable-population","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/archives\/40191","title":{"rendered":"Governor Kathy Hochul announced the groundbreaking on 34-unit specialized housing building to provide stability for vulnerable population"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Governor Kathy Hochul announced the groundbreaking for Mohawk Heights, a 34-unit housing development in Schenectady for adults living with mental illness who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless \u2014 marking a milestone in her administration\u2019s $2 billion in investments in strengthening the state\u2019s mental health system.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Developed with $15.6 million from the Office of Mental Health plus approximately $750,000 in annual operating funds, the new construction is the first capital project to break ground as part of the landmark initiative to transform all aspects of New York\u2019s continuum of care.<\/p>\n

\u201cFrom greatly expanding the availability of services to establishing much-needed housing units, our work to address mental health needs with a fresh approach across the state continues to pay dividends,\u201d\u00a0Governor Hochul said.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMohawk Heights will offer stable housing in a welcoming community setting, ensuring residents remain connected with support whenever they need it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Located at 1614 State Street, Mohawk Heights will be operated by Mohawk Opportunities, Inc., with initial capital financing during construction from OMH that will be replaced by a permanent bond mortgage issued through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and funded through OMH. OMH will also be providing ongoing operating funding support. The 11,459-square-foot building is expected to open in the first quarter of 2027.<\/p>\n

Governor Hochul\u2019s initial transformative plan\u00a0to strengthen the mental health system included $890 million in capital and $120 million in operating funds to establish and operate 3,500 new specialized housing units to serve New Yorkers living with mental illness, including 500 additional community residence-single room occupancy units like those at Mohawk Heights.<\/p>\n

There are now 1,276 units of specialized housing funded through the plan that are now in service and an additional 2,224 units being developed.<\/p>\n

Community residence-single room occupancy units offer housing and intensive services to individuals over the age of 18 who face the highest risk of homelessness due to their mental illness.<\/p>\n

This includes individuals experiencing homelessness and those being discharged from hospitals, forensic facilities, shelters, residential treatment facilities, and other settings who will benefit from intensive support and structure in the community residence as they reintegrate into the community and continue their recovery.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to safe, stable housing offers individuals necessary security and support during transitions in their lives. When it opens, Mohawk Heights will help dozens of residents connect with ongoing services as they reestablish roots within the community. We are grateful to see such tangible examples of progress in implementing Governor Hochul\u2019s vision for a mental health system that meets all New Yorkers where they are and guarantees that no one has to confront a mental health crisis alone,\u201d said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr.\u202fAnn Sullivan.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs Chair of the Senate Mental Health Committee, I recognize that we must keep working to transform New York State\u2019s continuum of care to meet the mental health needs of our residents. I applaud the Office of Mental Health and Governor Hochul for making investments that strengthen our mental health system to support New Yorkers with mental illness that are at risk of experiencing homelessness and empower them in their recovery,” said State Senator Samra Brouk.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe groundbreaking at Mohawk Heights represents an important step forward in addressing the intersection of mental health and housing insecurity in our community. As Chair of the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, I see every day how often individuals struggling with addiction are also living with co-occurring mental health disorders. In many cases, these challenges are compounded by a lack of stable housing, which makes recovery even more difficult. Developments like this provide not only a safe place to live, but also the supportive services people need to move forward, manage their mental health and build a path toward stability and independence,\u201d said Assemblymember Phil Steck.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to safe, stable housing is essential to supporting individuals on their path to recovery. Under Governor Hochul\u2019s leadership, New York State is making critical investments to expand these opportunities. DASNY is proud to support the development of Mohawk Heights and grateful to our partners at the Office of Mental Health and Mohawk Opportunities for their shared commitment to strengthening communities,\u201d said Dormitory Authority of the State of New York President and CEO Robert J. Rodriguez.<\/p>\n

\u201cFostering a welcoming community for all is central to our mission, and we are truly looking forward to celebrating the opening of Mohawk Heights next year. This new residence represents an important step forward in expanding housing opportunities in Schenectady and strengthening the continuum of care in our community. We are deeply grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York State Office of Mental Health for their partnership and shared commitment to making this vision a reality,\u201d said Mohawk Opportunities, Inc. Chief Executive Officer Steve Klein.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe forthcoming Mohawk Heights development will provide needed stable housing for members of our community as they maintain connections to supports. We are grateful to Governor Hochul for her commitment to ensuring all New Yorkers can live safely and overcome challenges,\u201d said City of Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy.<\/p>\n

\u201cMohawk Heights represents a powerful step forward in how we support individuals living with mental illness in our community. We are grateful to Governor Hochul and the New York State Office of Mental Health for their leadership and investment, and to Mohawk Opportunities for their continued commitment to helping individuals find stability, dignity, and hope,\u201d said Schenectady County Legislature Chair Gary Hughes.<\/p>\n

Similar extended stay housing projects are in the early stages of development in St. Lawrence, Erie, and Bronx counties. Licensed providers are required to maintain 24-hour staffing with on-site services that promote wellness and recovery and active linkages to other services in the community.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NEWYORK: Governor Kathy Hochul announced the groundbreaking for Mohawk Heights, a 34-unit housing development in Schenectady for adults living with mental illness who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless \u2014 marking a milestone in her administration\u2019s $2 billion in investments in strengthening the state\u2019s mental health system. Developed with $15.6 million from the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":40192,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1469,31,1378],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40191","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-york","category-news","category-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40191","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40191"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40191\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40193,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40191\/revisions\/40193"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40191"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40191"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vosa.tv\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40191"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}