Latest news with #PhoenixHouse
New York Post
7 days ago
- Health
- New York Post
Mayor Eric Adams celebrates $33M plan expanding mental health services for New Yorkers at city clubhouses
Mayor Eric Adams $30 million plan to expand services for mentally ill New Yorkers is finally complete — with 13 large 'clubhouses' now operating across the five boroughs, he announced Tuesday. Adams spearheaded the state-and city-funded initiative beginning in 2023 to develop the large centers serving 300 or more New Yorkers each, according to the mayor's office. 'Not feeling like you're part of a community, not feeling like you're part of a group, it actually has an impact on your physical health,' Adams said speaking at a press conference at one of the centers, Venture House in The Bronx. 'That's why it's so important to have places like these clubhouses.' 3 Mayor Eric Adams served rice to himself at Venture House, a mental health clubhouse in the Bronx. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office Six of the clubhouses were already operating and used the funding to grow their capacity, while the other seven are brand-new. The last of those, Phoenix House, opened in July in Manhattan, City Hall officials said. With the changes, enrollment at city clubhouses will double to 6,600 members by 2027, the officials said. The centers are operated by nonprofits and offer health, social and job resources to members with varying degrees of psychological troubles. Members also have jobs and responsibilities at the clubhouses, such as giving tours, serving food, cleaning and helping out at the reception area. 3 Adams also played part of a pool game with Venture House members Tuesday after a press conference. Haley Brown / NY Post Manhattan now has four clubhouses; Brooklyn and The Bronx have three each; Queens has two; and Staten Island has one. The city health department also plans to gather and analyze more data on members, according to Health Commissioner Michelle Morse. 'Part of our goal is actually to really improve the data and demonstrate the outcomes,' Morse said. City officials celebrated the initiative as part of Adams' 'End the Culture of Anything Goes' campaign, which highlights his administration's work on mental health. Hizzoner took the podium to cheers from Venture House members, who will now be able to use the brand new Bronx clubhouse because of the investment, according to City Hall. 'I am at home here,' Adams said, crying at times during his address. 3 Adams posed with members of Venture House. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office The Adams administration nearly doubled previous investments in mental health clubhouses, but the focus on larger locations, edged out nine smaller clubhouses that were no longer eligible to apply for Department of Health contracts because of new capacity requirements. Six of the smaller clubhouses have been able to maintain operations because the City Council carved out $5 million in funding over the last two annual budgets. 'We've been working with city council, who's been supporting some of the additional clubhouses,' Morse said. 'We're very thankful, of course, that there are lots of clubhouses across the city.'
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rise like the phoenix — New transition house opens in Erie
One Erie resident is on a mission to help those struggling with homelessness begin a new life. It's the largest project he has ever taken on, but he hopes his new 'Phoenix House' concept will help many in need. At first, when Matt Bennett walked into the building, it wasn't exactly what he was searching for — but after one look around, he knew what his heart was calling him to do. 'I was here for a different purpose. I was looking around and saw that it was on the market,' said Bennett. 'We just got to it and started making it happen.' Our Neighbor's Place season ending this week At the corner of East 21st and Ash Streets is a property of over 6,000 square feet. It was previously used as a funeral home and was recently sold to Matt Bennett, the founder and director of Erie Housing. Their mission is to help people with low income, veterans, parolees and others transition and rebuild their lives by providing clean, safe, affordable housing. 'I worked with MCRC, the Muticultural Community Resource Center, on housing immigrants and the feed back that I got from the help that I was giving the community, the immigrants just made me ask 'What else can I do to take this further to help people who are already here and struggling?'' said Bennett. 'People do have to pay $600 a month. It's okay if they're paying it themselves or they're funded in some way.' He's calling it 'The Phoenix,' which he said the death and rebirth concept matches the house itself Bennett and his crew have transformed the building into a 19-bed residence with a common area, bathrooms, laundry and more. Both men and women can be housed here, and the sleeping areas will be separated by gender for safety purposes. 'We put a lot of thought into it with security locks,' said Bennett. 'They have their own separate apartment for five women upstairs with laundry, kitchen and they have a separate exit out to the parking lot.' Erie Habitat for Humanity, Erie Insurance partner up to build two new homes Bennett said he has received a lot of community support from volunteers to furniture donations. He believes there should be more options for those who may be struggling. Once he has the Phoenix House open for a while, he hopes to open another transition home in the future. 'Just in the applications that I've been getting realize that I can't take all of these people, but there are heartbreaking stories,' said Bennett. 'So many people in Erie need help.' Applications are now open, you can find the link to apply here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
