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WILLMAR A New London woman was transported to the hospital after she drove through several yards Wednesday morning in Willmar, according to a news release from the Willmar Police Department.

According to the news release, Kathy Peterson, 65, of New London, exited Walts Car Wash on the 1200 block of First Street South and proceeded to travel northbound across Roise Avenue, driving through several yards on the 1100 block of Third Street Southwest.

Peterson drove through two fences, hit a shed and eventually came to a stop after her vehicle struck an unoccupied garage.

Peterson was transported to the Carris Health Rice Memorial Hospital emergency room by ambulance as a precaution. No other injuries were reported.

CentraCare Emergency Medical Services, the Kandiyohi County Rescue Squad and the Willmar Fire Department responded to the incident reported at 8:24 a.m. Wednesday.

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New London woman drives through yards and fences, crashes into garage after leaving car wash in Willmar - West Central Tribune

"Good fences make good neighbors," says the neighbor in Robert Frost's famous poem "The Mending Wall."

Having heard Frost's words used to defend building fences and walls, I'm not sure that's what he writes in the poem, and it's certainly not what I believe makes good neighbors. I prefer bridges rather than walls. They connect rather than divide people.

In the poem, Frost questions his neighbor's adage that good fences make good neighbors.

Before I built a wall I'd ask to know

What I was walling in or walling out,

And to whom I was like to give offense,

Something there is that doesn't love a wall.

That wants it down.

Before a wall is built, I'd like to know who is walled out and also who is being walled in. After all, walls not only keep people out of somewhere but keep them in as well. And walls, of course, are not only physical structures but also mental. You can wall people in by promoting only one point of view and denying opposing points of view. Free, responsible speech is not only necessary for dialogue but democracies.

I think I prefer building bridges rather than walls between people. After all, you can't really keep ideas walled in. A great and good idea goes around, under, and through walls as President Ronald Reagan knew when he challenged then Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to "tear down" the Berlin Wall, which separated a country.

Of course, nations need boundaries to describe their territories. So, too, do individuals need boundaries to tell others what they consider fair and just limits to relationships. Without boundaries, people can lose all sense of their limits and sometimes sacrifice their integrities.

I've often thought Frost was arguing that "good fences make good neighbors," but reading the poem again I think he felt the opposite: "Something there is that doesn't like a wall."

Most poems begin from some experience in a poet's life. I can imagine Frost talking with a neighbor about the wall between their homes. My column and a poem arose as I await a fence being constructed around a portion of my backyard. But it's not being built to keep my neighbor off my property but my new dog in my yard, Being a beagle who follows the scents of the wild to lure her anywhere, she needs the fence to be safe.

I'd still rather build bridges than walls, especially when it comes to new ideas and people. I'd rather take the time to learn something new than simply repeat the old, time-worn saying that "good fences make good neighbors." Good bridges make good neighbors, or as 17th century English poet John Donne wrote: "No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main"

John C. Morgan is a writer and teacher. His columns appear here each Wednesday in this newspaper. A collection of his poetry, "Thin Places," is available on Amazon.

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Everyday Ethics: Fences and neighbors [Opinion] - Reading Eagle

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The city has approved changes to its policies on fences, hedges and walls for both residents and businesses after a proposal from the building official.

The existing ordinance regarding fence type, fence height and placement of shrubbery had led to several questions and issues regarding property lines, neighbors and distances according to a letter from Building Official Michael Gero to Mayor Greg Kurtz.

The proposed changes were suggested to provide clarity and specification for residents and business owners.

The (modified) ordinance requires the property owner who is seeking a permit to verify property lines, notify adjacent property owners and resolve any potential conflicts before requesting the variance, Gero said.

The original ordinance -- Chapter 1363, according to codelibrary.amlegal.com -- outlined the rules for fence construction, gave height limitations for fences and said the Board of Zoning Appeals may permit exceptions to the restrictions on fences and walls when necessary.

The proposed changes add more information to the ordinance.

Gero outlined the additions: It specifies permit application requirements, eliminates the survey requirement specifies location requirements, (and) clarifies language which requires that any fence be installed in a location that allows the property owner, or their agent, to perform maintenance without entering any adjoining property.

These changes clarify that it is the property owners responsibility to identify property lines and communicate about their planned fence, wall or hedge construction with the owners of adjacent properties.

Gero said during the January City Council meeting, We are adding statements where the city is not approving, we are not responsible; but our goal now is if someone applies for a fence permit, my vision would be to have somebody from the city meet with the property owner and the neighbor to make sure that they both agree, or at least understand what the intent is.

He said that if a neighbor challenges the fence construction or location, it is the responsibility of the property owner who is requesting the variance to resolve the issue.

During the City Council meeting, Councilperson Tom Narduzzi said: Its a very uncomfortable situation for Mike, the Building Department, the person putting the fence up and the neighbor when things dont work out the way they are supposed to. It gets a lot of people involved that really shouldnt be involved. So, I think the mayor is doing the right thing by changing this legislation.

A resident must now provide a scale drawing with the location, height and type of fence, as well as the distance from structures, easements and swales. The city will inspect the property to ensure that the fence is constructed the way it is laid out in the plan submitted as part of the process for obtaining a permit.

Temporary fences that protect vegetation are exempt from needing a permit and must not be higher than 6 feet nor closer than 10 feet from a property line.

The changes to the ordinance also dictate the actual construction of a fence, including not being located within 3 feet of an adjoining propertys driveway or parallel structure, and having a gate to provide access for safety forces.

Gero said this is not a retroactive ordinance, meaning that any existing fencing can remain installed as it is.

Kurtz signed the legislation for these changes to take effect on Jan. 12, following the City Council meeting.

Read more from the Parma Sun Post.

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Independence amends ordinance on fences, hedges and walls - cleveland.com

Acting chief Yogananda Pittman proposed permanent fencing in a statement provided to reporters Thursday, but DC Mayor Muriel Bowser quickly slammed the idea and said the city will not "accept extra troops or permanent fencing as a long-term fixture in DC."

The proposal for permanent fencing comes weeks after a pro-Trump mob attacked the Capitol, leaving five people dead and extensive damage to the property.

"In light of recent events, I can unequivocally say that vast improvements to the physical security infrastructure must be made to include permanent fencing, and the availability of ready, back-up forces in close proximity to the Capitol," Pittman said.

She continued: "I look forward to working with Congress on identifying the security improvements necessary to ensure the safety and security of the Congress and the U.S. Capitol."

Bowser acknowledged the need for extra security for upcoming events but made it clear she did not want those enhanced measures to be permanent.

"Based on conversations with federal partners, there are some potentially volatile events upcoming that will require extra security. Fencing and the presence of troops will be a part of that," Bowser tweeted. "But we will not accept extra troops or permanent fencing as a long-term fixture in DC. When the time is right, the fencing around the White House and U.S. Capitol, just like the plywood we've seen on our businesses for too long, will be taken down."

"More needs to be done to protect the Capitol complex, but the failure of Capitol security leaders to plan for the predictable terrorist attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021, does not justify closing the complex from the public, to whom it belongs," she wrote.

Democratic Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a Massachusetts freshman, tweeted that it would be a "mistake to turn the home of our democracy into a fortress. The Capitol needs to be safely open for constituents, press, and visitors."

Rep. Elise Stefanik, a New York Republican, also spoke out against the idea on Twitter. "This is the People's House. I am adamantly opposed. There has been no threat briefing given to Members of Congress to justify this proposal," she tweeted.

The California Democrat met with retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honor, who is conducting a security review of the Capitol, on Thursday but provided few details.

"I was pleased to be briefed on the General's initial assessment which covered operational readiness, interagency cooperation, security infrastructure and the morale and readiness of institutional staff. As we consider the need for an emergency supplemental funding bill to meet institutional security needs, I want to thank the General for reviewing what is necessary for the Capitol Police to do their jobs," Pelosi said in a statement Thursday afternoon.

When asked if the fencing around the Capitol should stay up permanently, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters, "I would tend to defer to the experts as to what is the safest way to be. We'll see, I don't know."

The New York Democrat added: "There should be both safety and the right to access the building."

This story has been updated with additional reporting.

CNN's Ali Zaslav and Nicky Robertson contributed to this report.

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Proposal to build permanent fence around the Capitol meets resistance - CNN

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Holmes County Republican Rep. Bob Gibbs believes Democrats whove just taken over the apparatus of government in Washington are prioritizing the wrong fences by erecting a network of security barricades around the U.S. Capitol complex while halting construction of the wall on the border between the United States and Mexico that was championed by President Donald Trump.

Gibbs spent January 27-30 touring the border between the United States and Mexico with a group of Republican Congress members assembled by Arizona Republican Rep. Andy Biggs. The group, whose members also included Miami County Republican Rep. Warren Davidson, visited border stations on Sasabe, Nogales, and Sierra Vista and met with Border Patrol agents, members of local law enforcement, customs officials, and the mother of a former City of Mesa police officer who was killed by an immigrant who was in the United States illegally.

In a Wednesday interview about the excursion, Gibbs said the Border Patrol agents he met and ranchers who own property along the border all agreed it was a mistake for President Joe Biden to stop the walls construction with a proclamation he issued the day he was inaugurated. Bidens proclamation called the wall a waste of money that diverts attention from genuine threats to our homeland security, and said that Trumps declaration of a national emergency on the southern border was unwarranted.

Gibbs said finishing the wall Trump envisioned will save money by allowing fewer agents to patrol more miles along the border. Fenced sections of the border require one agent to patrol two linear miles, while unfenced sections require three to five agents per mile. Gibbs says completing the border wall will also help crack down on the murderous cartels that smuggle drugs and humans across the border. He said a porous border is contributing to a humanitarian crisis where desperate people from impoverished countries who hope to enter the United States are victimized by criminals.

You hear so much from the other side that the borders not a problem, that the fence is worthless, that it doesnt do anything, and thats absolutely not true, said Gibbs, who said all the border agents he met fully support completing the wall.

Gibbs criticized Democrats who control the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate for not removing a network of security fencing topped with barbed wire that was installed around the U.S. Capitol complex after a Jan. 6 riot by supporters of Trump, resulting in the deaths of five people, including a Capitol Police officer. He calls the fencing totally unnecessary.

Gibbs said theres no longer a threat of mayhem at the Capitol, and that security forces had advance warning that a mob was headed there on Jan. 6, but failed to act. Gibbs said he believes House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has kept the fencing up as part of an agenda for power and control, starting to scare everybody.

A letter that Pelosi sent to colleagues on Tuesday said Congress and its members are face serious and ongoing security threats, and called for an emergency supplemental funding bill to meet institutional security needs, as well as establishment of a 9/11-type Commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack on January 6..

The irony here is, we build a fence around the symbol of a democratic republic, and we cannot have a secure border, said Gibbs, who represents a district that includes parts of Medina, Lorain, Huron, Richland Stark and Tuscarawas counties and all of Ashland, Coshocton, Holmes and Knox counties.

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Rep. Bob Gibbs gives thumbs up to border fence, thumbs down to Capitol Hill security fence - cleveland.com

New Delhi:

Days after barbed wire fences, concrete barricades and makeshift barriers of buses were put in place at Ghazipur on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border - to virtually imprison farmers protesting the agriculture laws - similar measures are being rolled out at Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border.

Delhi Police are digging up vast stretches of NH-44 to build rows of barbed wires set in concrete, and are setting up strips of sharpened nails and iron rods in the middle of the road - those pieces that have not been dug up - to stop farmers and their tractors from entering the national capital.

The police have also placed massive shipping containers as temporary walls, have stopped all traffic for several kilometres in all direction, and deployed a huge force, including armed officers. They have also stopped media from entering and suspended internet services since last week.

"The protest sites are looking like international borders. It is as if we have come from Pakistan. On one hand, they (the government) want us to talk, and on the other hand they are doing everything to de-link us (from the city)," Kulwant Singh Sandhu, a farmer leadertold news agency PTI.

Over the past couple of days this has become the norm along the Delhi border, with barbed wire barriers, strips of iron rods, and concrete walls built to stop farmers from advancing into the city.

Stretches of NH-44 have been dug up to place barbed wire barriers and now resembles a war zone

The escalation in containment measures comes after last weeks' tractor rally descended into chaos; a group of protesters veered off the course farmers and police had agreed on, storming the Red Fort complex and clashing with cops at the ITO junction and Nangloi.

That violence - in which a farmer was killed and over 300 hundreds cops injured - was after protesters and tractors burst through police barricades, hours before they were to be allowed in.

Delhi Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava pointed to that when asked about the new measures.

"I am surprised that when tractors were used... police were attacked... barricades were broken on January 26, no questions were raised. What did we do now? We have just strengthened barricading so that it's not broken again," he said Tuesday.

Row upon row of police barriers, concrete walls and barbed wire fences have penned farmers in

The authorities have also suspended internet services in Haryana, where the farmers are gathered, although it is functional a few hundred metres away, where the police are amassed.

The farmers have also alleged that water tankers have been blocked off, but have reiterated that these "attacks" will not break their spirit. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha said "... trench-digging... fixing nails... barbed wire fencing... are all part of multiple attacks (by the government)".

These measures have drawn sharp criticism from those supporting the farmers and the opposition, for whom Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has led the charge.

On Tuesday Mr Gandhi lashed out at the government for "crushing" farmers and urged them to "build bridges, not walls". On Wednesday he warned the government that the farmers would not back down.

Tens of thousands of farmers have been dug in since late November - and more join them every day - in their battle to force the repeal of laws they say will endanger their livelihoods. The centre insists these laws will help farmers and has refused to scrap them. It has, however, offered a temporary stay.

Their protest caught the attention of global celebrities on Monday, when international pop star Rihanna tweeted: "Why aren't we talking about this?".

Rihanna's tweet triggered a wave of support and also a sharp response from the government, which dismissed it as "sensationalist".

With input from PTI

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Watch: More Barbed Wire Fences, Spikes On Roads At Singhu Protest Site - NDTV

A Republican congressman said Wednesday that its time to tear down the fence that was hastily erected last month around the Capitol, saying its turned the seat of American democracy into a fortress more akin to a military base.

Rep. Ted Budd, in a commentary at Townhall.com, said the danger of another attack similar to the Jan. 6 assault has passed, President Biden is now in the White House, and theres no similar threat still looming against lawmakers.

We should not allow the tragic events of a single day to permanently alter the peoples access to the seat of our representative government, the North Carolina congressman wrote.

The temporary fence was erected after Jan. 6, when Congress was attacked by a pro-Trump mob seeking to disrupt the counting of electoral votes that confirmed President Bidens victory. Authorities feared a repeat in the run-up to the inauguration, and created the fence, and stationed troops along it.

The new acting chief for the U.S. Capitol Police said in recent days that the department believes the fence should be made permanent. Mr. Budd said that would be a symbolic stain on our country.

Opposition to a permanent fence is bipartisan, with some Democrats also saying they hope the Capitol complex can do without a barrier between them and the school groups, tourists and voters who stream through the grounds each day.

Mr. Budd said lawmakers will press the issue with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who this week said Congress will need to pass an emergency spending bill to create a safer environment at the Capitol.

My House colleagues and I are willing to have an honest debate about providing the Capitol Hill Police with the resources they need to be better prepared without turning the Capitol into a permanent fortress, Mr. Budd wrote.

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Rep. Budd tells Congress to tear down its fence - Washington Times

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office corrections personnel conducting a routine patrol of the property at Silverdale Detention Center on Tuesday morning located a section of the outer perimeter fence that had been cut. Once the damage was located, the inmates at Silverdale Detention Center were immediately placed on lock-down and a head count was conducted.

A facility-wide headcount has been completed and all inmates are accounted for at this time, officials said.

The HCSO Criminal Investigation Division is currently investigating the damage to the outer perimeter fence and how it occurred.

Since the transition of the Silverdale Detention Center from CoreCivic on Dec. 30, corrections and law enforcement personnel have conducted several searches throughout the facility and have located illegal contraband and weapons, including over 30 edged weapons and numerous illegal narcotics, it was stated.

Chief Deputy Austin Garrett said, "This type of criminal activity risks the safety and well-being of our personnel and the inmates in our charge and will not be tolerated. This incident reinforces our ongoing efforts to prevent inmate escapes and the smuggling of weapons and contraband into the facility.

"As part of our continued efforts to strengthen security measures, we are in the process of installing additional perimeter fencing and surveillance based technology facility-wide.

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Section Of Fence At Silverdale Detention Center Found To Have Been Cut; All Inmates Accounted For - The Chattanoogan

SPRINGDALE -- The City Council working as a Committee of the Whole on Tuesday passed on for vote an additional $1.5 million for construction of its new municipal campus.

The council will vote on two measures during its meeting Feb. 9.

The council supported the addition of a community room to the south side of the building for $503,089. They also accepted change orders made during construction to support technology needed by the Police Department but balked at paying additional costs to the architect and contractor, who cited delays because of weather and the covid-19 pandemic.

The money will come from the general fund on the 2022 budget, said Mayor Doug Sprouse.

Springdale voters in 2018 approved a $200 million bond project including $42 million for a new city administration building. The campus is being built in two stages. The north side of the building, currently under construction as Phase 1, includes the Police Department and district court and offices. Phase 2 will include offices for staff of city departments and a new council chambers on the south end.

Contingencies for delays were included in the contracts for both the architect and the contractor, but the project has exceeded the time allowed for delays.

The original contract listed 780 days for construction, but the contractors asked for 287 more.

"That's a nine-month delay," said council member Brian Powell.

Roy Decker of Duvall Decker Architects asked for $317,214 in an extension of the architect's contract. He said the architecture firm stays on the project through construction in case problems or changes arise need redesign and engineering.

Sprouse said the architect's contracted costs were paid by a design grant from the Walton Family Foundation.

The contract with Milestone Construction also will increase, not including the cost of the community room.

The construction budget still includes $552,581. Additional money of $222,463 will come from the general fund in the 2022 budget, as will the community room, Sprouse said.

Colby Fulfer, assistant to the mayor, told the council the undesignated money for such projects sits at $12.2 million.

"That's what that money is there for, to return services to the citizens," Sprouse said.

The pandemic caused delays as various subcontractors would have to quarantine entire crews when one worker tested positive, said Wyman Morgan, the city's director of administration and finance.

Most days, about 100 people worked on the construction of the building, but some days, only 25 were there, Morgan said.

"We also had an unusual disruption of the supply chain," Roy Decker of Duvall Decker architects told the council.

He said the factory producing the concrete panels making up the outer walls was closed for a time during the pandemic. The panels were six months late, he said.

"But construction can't finish on the interior without the exterior being up," Decker continued.

Greg Ferus of Milestone Construction said the project also faced 80 days of inclement weather, especially at the beginning of the project as dirt work for the site began.

The city also requested several changes in the building design and engineering as construction moved forward, Decker said.

"When is the bleeding going to stop? We're not even to Phase 2," asked Randall Harriman.

Decker said he foresees no other delays or cost overages. "We're 65% complete, and this end of the building will be easier. This end's an office building."

Laurinda Joenks can be reached by email at ljoenks@nwadg.com or on Twitter @NWALaurinda.

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Springdale council to consider votes to spend $1.5 million more for city hall project - Arkansas Online

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the fifth round of awards from the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative, which will provide $30 million annually to fund support services and operating costs for at least 1,200 units of supportive housing for homeless persons with special needs, conditions or other challenges. The 179 conditional awards will help 104 community providers create housing opportunities in 41 counties across New York. The conditionalawardsprovideserviceand operating fundingforpermanentsupportive housing units. The awards will allow applicants to secure separate capital funding to finance the development and construction of their housing projects. The conditional awards can be found listed by region and countyhere.

"All New Yorkers, especially our state's most vulnerable, should have access to the services they need in the communities of their choice, and the Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative delivers on that commitment during a time when they need more support than ever,"Governor Cuomo said."Through these five rounds of awards, we're providing New Yorkers with a range of specialized housing optionsand support services, while helping community organizations finance construction, operate buildings and provide those critical services throughout the state."

The awards announced today will be used to provide rental assistance and services to eligible target populations to ensure their housing stability. ESSHI has provided for the construction of more than 5,000 units of supportive housing for vulnerable populations, including veterans, victims of domestic violence, frail or disabled senior citizens, young adults with histories of incarceration, homelessness or foster care, chronically homeless individuals and families, as well as individuals with health, mental health and/or substance use disorders.

In total, New York has financed the new construction and preservation of more than 7,000 units of supportive housing, putting the State well on its way to meeting the Governor's goal of creating or preserving 20,000 units of supportive housing over 15 years. The Executive Budget includes $250 million in additional capital funding to help meet that goal.

The conditional awards follow the Governor's 2021 State of the State proposal to create new supportive housing by allowing commercial property owners to convert underutilized office buildings and hotels in New York to residential use, includingaffordable and supportive housing. Governor Cuomo also demonstrated his commitment to supportive housing in his 2021-22 Executive Budget proposal, which continues his $20 billion, comprehensive five-year investment in affordable and supportive housing and services to provide New Yorkers with safe and secure homes.

Although the New York State Office of Mental Health serves as the lead procurement agency for ESSHI, the program is a multi-agency effort, with a workgroup that includes representatives from the Department of Health, New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the Office of Addiction Services and Supports, the Office of Children and Family Services, the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, and Office for People with Developmental Disabilities.

New York State is a national leader in the development and ongoing support of housing for families and individuals living with mental illness and other special needs. Supportive housing has been shown to provide stability, safety and the opportunity for individuals and families to live in their own homes and communities as they make their way on the road to recovery. Housing with support services also reduces the need for costly emergency department visits and inpatient hospital stays.

Office of Mental Health CommissionerDr. Ann Sullivansaid,"The Governor's ESSHI program has provided stable housing and supportive services to thousands of people and families, allowing them to live successfully in their own homes. Supportive housing enables many individuals living with mental illness to have full and productive lives while receiving the services they need. ESSHI has been a great success, and I'm proud of the role OMH has played to further its goals."

Homes and Community Renewal CommissionerRuthAnneVisnauskas said, "This $30 million in ESSHI awards is another leap forward in Governor Cuomo's unwavering commitment to ending homelessness and housing insecurity in New York State. With supportive services, we can help New Yorkers achieve stability, improve health outcomes and regain their independence in a nurturing and affordable living environment. The latest round of awards will support 104 organizations and create at least 1,200 supportive homes across every region of the state. By caring for our most vulnerable, we are building stronger and more equitable communities for all."

Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said,"Without first securing stable housing, it is nearly impossible for New Yorkers to address other conditions that threaten their health and well-being. Governor Cuomo's Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative is improving public health for all New Yorkers by expanding affordable and supportive housing to help people live in their own homes and communities while making their way toward recovery."

Office of Children and Family Services CommissionerSheila J. Poole said,"Stable housing is foundational to young adults' success, whether they are aging out of the foster care system, previously homeless or returning to the community following a juvenile justice placement. At home, they can pursue education, employment or a vocational opportunity that will lead them to further accomplishments and maintain their place in their community. I commend Governor Cuomo for his commitment to continued support for these vulnerable New Yorkers as they attain thestabilitythey need to focus on building successful futures."

Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance CommissionerMike Hein said,"Supportive housing is the most effective tool we have in addressing homelessness as it provides not just a place to live, but access to support services that can help New Yorkers address the issues that may have contributed to them experiencing homelessness in the first place. OTDA is proud to play a critical role in the success of this initiative, which is making a real difference in the lives of some of our most vulnerable residents."

Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Executive DirectorKelli Owenssaid, "Safe, affordable housing is too often the reason DV survivors and their families can't escape abusive relationships. ESSHI's announcement of building even more pathways to safe, stable housing for some of our most vulnerable community members couldn't be more timely or important, especially as the need for a safe home is heightened during the pandemic. We value our partnership with ESSHI in this critical work and thank them for their leadership in expanding affordable, permanent housing throughout NYS."

Office for PeopleWithDevelopmental Disabilities CommissionerTheodore Kastner, MD, MS,said,"OPWDD strives to help New Yorkers with developmental disabilities achieve independence so that they may live and thrive in their communities of choice. Affordable, supportive housing provided through the Governor's Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative provides the foundation for integrated, community living and opens up a world of possibility for people with developmental disabilities who want to live independently and take part in their community while receiving the right supports."

Senator SamraBrouk, Chair of the Senate Committee on Mental Health, said,"Providing homes for more New Yorkers addressing mental health difficulties will help save lives. I am glad to see this investment being made, and I will work with my colleagues in government to ensure our state provides high quality services and support to those battling mental health disorders and issues."

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Governor Cuomo Announces $30 Million in Awards to Finance Construction and Services for 1200 Supportive Housing Units - ny.gov