Three years ago, E and her family moved into a home of their own in Cedar/Fox Hall. But E's depression persisted, causing her to become increasingly isolated.  Both she and her husband rarely interacted with other people, although E maintained a strong connection to her case manager.

When the Cedars' staff was planning to relocate their offices into new space in the building, they thought about reaching out to E, whose apartment was beautifully designed and maintained.  Cedars staff asked E if she would be interested in helping design the space. E was delighted and revealed that she had earned a degree in Architecture in the Dominican Republic. E devoted herself to the project, and as she worked a new side of E began to emerge, characterized by her passion for the work and growing sense of self worth. E made detailed professional sketches of a furnished office layout (pictured above). Thanks to E, Cedar's staff and tenants now have beautiful new offices.  Shortly thereafter, E approached staff to inquire about possible design/architectural internships. E applied and was awarded a paid internship beginning in September with an architectural firm that she hopes is the first step toward a new career.

For many years, Willie volunteered at the Terrance Cardinal Cooke Health Center, making daily visits to disabled and chronically ill residents who otherwise would not have had any visitors and bringing patients in wheel chairs to different areas of the facility. Willie devoted himself wholeheartedly to his volunteer work inspiring others along the way with his own story of personal transformation. Wherever Willie G. goes, he humbly, yet passionately conveys a hopeful message and exemplifies healing, recovery and personal renewal. In recognition of his volunteer service, he received an "Un-Sung Leaders" Award and the Leslie C. Quick, Jr. Volunteer of the year Award.

In Willie's own words, "If there weren't places like Schafer, I would have had to spend my life in transitional facilities with shared bathrooms and no privacy. Living in these places created a lack of stability in my life, because they are not for the long term and are full of residents arguing and fighting. Having a private dwelling place such Schafer Hall, with its own bathroom and kitchen decreases my stress level because it allows me to live in a clean environment where I have privacy and can function on a higher level. Living in my own apartment, I no longer have to worry about where I am going to stay the next night and the next night thereafter... Homelessness has a way of dehumanizing you. Schafer Hall allowed me to have my dignity back. Homelessness has been a long and stressful period in my life; I am so happy that it is over! In closing I would like to say thank God for Schafer Hall and places like them which allow people like me the opportunity to rebuild our lives."

Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Compiled by Linda Collins

OCEAN HILL/BROWNSVILLE March 20, 2012 -- A new 62-unit affordable housing complex has opened in Ocean Hill/Brownsville,  according to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Lantern Community Services and their partners.

The new development, known as Hunterfly Trace, at 397-403 Howard Ave., is also a supportive housing complex that will provide on-site social services for formerly homeless adults.

The development is built along a trace of Hunterfly Road that was used by Dutch settlers in the 1800s to measure plots of land. The original Hunterfly Road continues southward stretching toward Jamaica Bay and is the location of the historic Hunterfly Road Houses, according to HPD Commissioner Mathew Wambua and Lantern Community Services COO Alissa Kampner Rudin, who made the joint announcement.

Hunterfly Trace, created under the Bloomberg administration's New Housing Marketplace Plan (NHMP), was sponsored by the Lantern Group, a nonprofit developer of  affordable housing.

The NHMP has funded the creation or preservation of more than 129,200 units of affordable housing across the five boroughs, including more than 31,190 units in Brooklyn and more than 4,290 units in Community Board 16, where Hunterfly Trace is located.

Said Wambua, "For our most vulnerable citizens, having a safe, affordable home is critical to building a stable future. Hunterfly Trace was designed with this population in mind, and will provide both a secure home environment and the supportive services they need."

Commented Rudin, "The development of permanent affordable housing has been a priority for the communities of Ocean Hill and Brownsville. The on-site social services at Hunterfly Trace will help improve the quality of life for the people living there, many of whom had lived in shelters for 10 or more years and have never had their own apartment."

"Not only do we work with residents to strengthen their independent living skills and foster housing stability, but we also assist them in setting employment and wellness goals. In addition, Hunterfly Trace provides much-needed affordable housing to the aging population."

The new building features all studio apartments -- including 55 reserved for homeless adults with special needs and seven reserved for neighborhood residents -- plus a penthouse community space and a social services  office and meeting rooms on the cellar level.

Lantern Community Services provides the social services, which include case management, individual and group substance abuse counseling, independent life skills building, vocational rehabilitation, paid work training and employment services.

Tenants for these units were referred from the NYC departments of Homeless Services and Health and Mental Hygiene, according to Wambua, who added, "Supportive housing is permanent, affordable housing."

NEW YORK February 23, 2012-- There's a new facility in the Bronx that provides temporary housing to young men and women who have aged out of the foster care system.

There is a huge need for this kind of program to help young people transition into adulthood. Vicinitas Hall is a fully-renovated building with 67 studio apartments, and the demand is great. When the building opened up the application process, there were three applications for each spot.

The sleek-tiled lobby, high-tech security and stone courtyard make Vicinitas Hall look like any another apartment building. But the residents there require extra care, as they are individuals who are too old for foster care, but unable to live independently.

"They really have not learned the most basic things, how to go grocery shopping, how to turn a stove on, how to open a bank account," said Alissa Kampner Rudin, of the Lantern Group. "They have not been taught any of these things in foster care, particularly in the group home setting."

The non-profit organization The Lantern Group provides specialists in employment, education and counseling. Many of the residents are very distrustful of adults after years in foster care. Nico Perry was abandoned at the age of 2 and was shuffled in and out of 30 different foster homes. He is settling in to his new apartment.

"It's heaven to me, to be in my own environment where I can focus on my schoolwork and my studies," he said. "Without having any hassles or any major distraction, this is a blessing."

And Nico hits the books a lot. He is pulling down a 3.5 grade-point average at Mercy College, majoring in psychology and counseling. He is driven to succeed.

"No one can get in my way, no one can stop me, because I want to be somebody," he said. "I don't want to be just another statistic."

Nico hopes to channel the pain of his childhood into helping other foster children see that they do have a future.

Residents receive a subsidy from the city under localized Section 8 to cover 70 percent of their rent. The other 30 percent has to be paid for by the residents themselves.

To see a video of this news report, please click here.

New York Daily News

Richard Harbus

BRONX, NY January 19, 2012 -- Steven Nunez never had a father, lost his mother when he was 10 years old and spent seven years in foster care. When he aged out of the New York City foster care system, he had nowhere to go, so he started sleeping on couches and the subway.

But today the slim, upbeat 28-year-old college student and aspiring restaurateur boasts a shiny studio apartment with a kitchen that faces the rising sun and Tremont Park in the Bronx.

Nunez is one of 67 tenants at Vicinitas Hall, a brand new supportive housing development in East Tremont for low-income young adults and those who have aged out of foster care.

"Coming from where I come from, with no family and no one to turn to, I needed hope and a fresh start," said Nunez, smiling behind thick black spectacles with white polka dots. "Waking up here every day is like the rainbow after a thunderstorm."

Built on the site of a parking lot for $16 million - with $7 million in federal funds issued by the city in addition to stimulus money, state housing cash and tax credits - Vicinitas Hall is a handsome, seven-story building with elegant lighting, and marble tiles.

New Yorkers age out of foster care abruptly at 21, when the city stops paying foster parents and group homes. Within a year, one in 10 become homeless, and within three years, one in five do, said Ray Hodges, deputy director of special needs housing for the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

"To be out on your own is tough," said Nunez, who recently earned a hospitality management degree from Borough of Manhattan community College. "Some of my friends turned to drug addiction and prostitution to get by."

With 41 young adults from the foster care system, Vicinitas Hall is the largest housing development of its kind in New York and one of the largest in the country. The building's other 21 tenants are working young adults from the neighborhood who earn under $33,000 a year, and more than 30% of the tenants are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer.

It accounts for nearly half of 150 units in buildings across the city that offer tenants access to support services through a Health Department pilot program expected to expand soon.

The Lantern Group, a Manhattan-based nonprofit, operates Vicinitas Hall, providing caseworkers and employment aides on-site to help tenants find jobs and secure government benefits.

"When young adults age out of foster care, they often don't have the life skills they need," said Alissa Kampner Rudin, Lantern Group chief operating officer. "We give them a safe haven here."

Murphy said the supportive housing model saves taxpayers money because it costs much more to keep young adults in homeless shelters.