Page 36 - 2023 Westchester County Economic Development Guide
P. 36
34
WESTCHESTER COUNTY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GUIDE
Cultivating and Advancing Talent Lifting Up Westchester
From Lifelines to Lasting Change
Liing Up Westchester helps address the economic challenges caused by homelessness, aids thousands of County residents and strengthens the County.
“Anyone’s life can unravel at any time,” says Anahaita N. Kotval, Chief Executive Officer, Liing Up Westchester.
“It can be a dramatic event, like a house fire, the loss of a loved one or fleeing an abusive relationship. Or it can be the unexpected loss of a job or serious illness like cancer that can drain a person’s life savings. Whatever the circumstance, losing your home is traumatic and can quickly lead to
other challenges. Our experience has found that when people have a secure, affordable home, they can focus on advancing their education, health issues, and employment.
Liing Up Westchester provides that life-changing support to people who have lost their housing and are struggling to meet other basic needs to help them achieve stability in their lives and self-sufficiency. Programs include emergency shelter, case management, housing, academic support for homeless youth, a community kitchen, and employment services. “We want to do things once and do it right,” says Kotval. “at means creating lasting change for those we help.”
Homelessness happens to everyday people
“Most people associate homelessness with people
they see on the street. Most don’t know that in Westchester County, there are 1,600 people experiencing homelessness each night – almost two-thirds are families with children. ere is no one set of circumstances
that causes people to become unhoused,” says Chief Development Officer Lauren Candela-Katz.
“But in reality, homelessness is primarily an economic issue. 45 per cent of those living in County shelters are working. Some have lost jobs, but many had their hours cut or their rent raised and ended up evicted. We have people from all types of white and blue collar jobs within our shelter system.”
The economic damage of homelessness
Beyond the humanitarian considerations, it’s economically costly to have people stay homeless, says Kotval. “Research studies have demonstrated that the cost of keeping a person homeless averages $45,000 to $85,000 per year between the cost of shelter, emergency room, police and other services. Rental subsidies, on the other hand, cost between $20,000 and $30,000 per year, saving society a significant amount of money. Supporting people in getting stable employment provides even greater long- term savings for the community.”
Li ingUpWestchesteroffersemergencyshelter,casemanagement, housing, a community kitchen and employment services.
Buoyed by the support and spirit of the County
“We’re lucky to have a County funded shelter system with generally enough beds,” says Candela-Katz. “We have a very talented, savvy and diverse community. Our partnerships with other social service organizations, Westchester County government agencies, individuals, local corporations and organizations like Nonprofit Westchester, the Westchester County Association and the Business Council of Westchester continue to be vital to our ability to make a positive impact.”
Expanded programming
“Our new plan for 2023 includes two big strategic initiatives. e first is the expansion of our employment preparation program, which successfully placed participants in 40 jobs during COVID with an 86 per cent retention rate. Job Central will be staffed by three full- time professionals and will be located opposite the White Plains train station,” says Kotval. “e second initiative is the expansion of our community kitchen located at Grace Church in White Plains. Community Central is a new way we will centralize opportunities to access community and resources for personalized support,” says Kotval.“
The Westchester paradox
“Westchester County is an extraordinary County that
has a large service industry that requires a wide range
of employees. But when the employees at the bottom range cannot afford to live in the County, we need to recognize that and do better. To fully enjoy our lifestyle and achieve our potential, they need to be able afford to live in a one bedroom in this magical place with all the advantages it offers.”
“We have a very talented, savvy and diverse community, and a lot of County spirit in Westchester. There’s a lot of coitent to the local counit, and a lot of nancial and oral suort. —Anahaita N. Kotval
© Courtesy of Liing Up Westchester
