New York City’s commissioner of homeless services, Seth Diamond, will participate in a panel discussion on Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at NYU Wagner on the problem of homelessness. He will be joined by Dennis Culhane, professor of social welfare policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and Rosanne Haggerty, president and founder of Common Ground.

NYC Homeless Services Commissioner Joins Discussion at NYU Wagner - Feb. 7

New York City’s commissioner of homeless services, Seth Diamond, will participate in a panel discussion on Tuesday, February 8, 2011, at NYU Wagner on the problem of homelessness. He will be joined by Dennis Culhane, professor of social welfare policy at the University of Pennsylvania, and Rosanne Haggerty, president and founder of Common Ground.

This free public event – from 5:30 p.m.-to-7:00 p.m.— will take place in the Rudin Family Forum for Civic Dialogue, Puck Building, 2nd Floor, 295 Lafayette Street (@ Houston) and is sponsored by the Wagner Policy Alliance.

RSVP is required.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg made national news in 2004 by announcing that his Administration would work towards reducing homelessness in New York City by two-thirds during his tenure as mayor. However, homelessness has not been reduced and the Administration faces a difficult task in achieving its goal.

The panel will be moderated by Professor Ingrid Ellen, director of the urban planning program at NYU Wagner, co-director of the University’s Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy, and coeditor of the recently published book How to House the Homeless.  It will examine the objectives of the city’s policies, existing homelessness programs, and important themes.

Seth Diamond has served in his role at the Department of Homeless Services since April 2010. Prior to his appointment, he was executive deputy commissioner of the Family Independence Administration at the city's Human Resources Administration. He oversaw the administration of the city's Cash Assistance and Food Stamps programs, which serve nearly 2 million New Yorkers.

Dennis Culhane’s primary areas of research are homelessness, assisted housing policy, and policy analysis research methods. He is the director of Research for the U.S. Veteran’s Administration’s National Center for Homelessness Among Veterans. He is also working with several states and cities to develop preventative approaches to homelessness, including “rapid exit” and community-based housing stabilization programs.

Rosanne Haggerty founded Common Ground in 1991. Common Ground is a New York City-based non-profit organization dedicated to finding innovative solutions to homelessness and has developed and operates a range of housing facilities serving formerly homeless and low-income households located in New York City.

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