A homeless crisis is being felt in nearly every community across New York, making outreach programs even more vital. The state on Monday announced the expansion of its Safe Options Support program, or SOS, which started trying to help certain upstate regions in 2022. 

Two years later, officials say there are still a lot of people in need of assistance.

“Homelessness in New York is a growing problem," said Chief Operating Officer of The Monroe Plan for Medical Care Kim Hess.

The state is hoping to address the problem with its SOS program. 

“It’s an intensive program that works with individuals who are homeless in all the counties, or most of the counties in New York state," she said. "So, we have a team that assists to remove barriers to facilitate housing placement.” 

They do it in groups.

“We have a team of four individuals," said Hess. "We have two care managers, a licensed social worker and a peer. And so we go out as a team, or at least with two individuals, and we find people. That could be through street outreach, it could be through county providers, it could be through law enforcement.” 

The Monroe Plan for Medical Care runs the iteration of the SOS program. The organization was awarded $5 million over five years to help those on the street and in shelters in Onondaga and Oswego counties. 

“Community involvement and the face-to-face interaction you have with individuals is hands down the number one area that you need to focus on because that’s how you build trusting relationships," she said. 

The Rescue Mission in downtown Syracuse will partner with the Monroe Plan to give those without a stable home some security. They’ve had significant issues with an overabundance of homeless people at their location for years. 

In a statement, Rosalia Hernandez, division director for emergency services for the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse, told Spectrum News 1, "This partnership is dedicated to reaching individuals experiencing homelessness, offering personalized support and connecting them with critical resources such as shelter, health care and housing services. By combining the expertise of both our organizations, we aim to address the immediate needs of those on the streets while working toward long-term solutions for stability and self-sufficiency."

So far, 11 teams operating in either upstate New York and Long Island have enrolled more than 400 people into their services. Nearly 150 people have been placed in permanent housing. 

“To lower the number of homeless individuals in the counties that we serve. That’s our goal," Hess said. 

There are currently 10 teams in upstate covering 20 counties from Western New York to the Hudson Valley. It's possible there could be SOS teams covering every county in New York in the future.