Capital Program Unit

Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP)

The Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) provides capital grants and loans to not-for-profit corporations, charitable and religious organizations, municipalities and public corporations to acquire, construct or rehabilitate housing for persons who are homeless and are unable to secure adequate housing without special assistance. Projects eligible for HHAP funding may serve families, single persons, youth, the elderly, as well as a range of special needs groups such as the homeless mentally disabled, victims of domestic violence, veterans and persons with AIDS.

The Homeless Housing and Assistance Program was enacted by Chapter 61 of the Laws of 1983. In June of 1990, a public benefit corporation was established to oversee the program. The corporation, known as the Homeless Housing and Assistance Corporation (HHAC), is a subsidiary of the New York State Housing Finance Agency (HFA), and is administered by staff of the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA).

HHAP was the first program in the country to target substantial financial resources for the development of homeless housing. Since the inception of HHAP, New York State has led the nation in the advancement of the idea that more than bricks and mortar is needed to humanely provide housing for the more vulnerable members of society. Through HHAP, New York was a pioneer in the development of housing for people (including families) living with HIV/AIDS, low demand housing for the mentally ill and/or chemically addicted, and transitional re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated men and women.

Moreover, HHAP meets a distinct need within New York by developing housing that falls outside the purview of traditional low and moderate income housing initiatives. HHAP has provided capital funding for a wide range of housing types for various homeless special needs populations, including but not limited to:

• emergency and transitional facilities for victims of domestic violence
• transitional housing for adolescents aging out of foster care
• programs for homeless and runaway youth
• transitional programs for people in recovery
• supported housing for veterans, people living with HIV/AIDS, ex-offenders, substance abusers, the chronic homeless, and the severely and persistently mentally ill

In many instances, HHAP is the only state resource available to fund the capital development of these types of projects.

Program funds are awarded through an annual competitive Request for Proposals process. Applicants and awardees represent a broad range of not-for-profit and charitable organizations, generally with experience either in housing development or management, or in the provision of social services. A relatively small number of grants have also been made to municipalities.

HHAP, together with all the programs administered by the Bureau of Housing Services within OTDA, is designed to move families and individuals from homelessness and poverty toward the greatest level self-reliance and economic independence they are capable of achieving.

• View photos of some of HHAP’s completed projects
• HHAP Annual Report 2023
• HHAP Annual Report 2022
• HHAP Annual Report 2021
• HHAP Annual Report 2020
• HHAP Sponsor Handbook

For more information regarding HHAP, please see the Request for Proposals (RFP) page at: http://otda.ny.gov/contracts/2020/HHAP/

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