QUESTION
What impact did manipulation of shelter eligibility rates have on shelter capacity and budgeting?
1:21:40
·
3 min
The manipulation of shelter eligibility rates had a marginal impact on shelter capacity and budgeting due to the challenges faced in the New York City housing market.
- The Department of Social Services reviewed a report detailing the marginal impact of eligibility rate manipulation.
- Over 10,000 households with city vouchers are currently having difficulty finding housing in the tight New York City housing market.
- The manipulation may have delayed voucher issuance by a few days, but the overall process of moving out takes months.
- The incident led to a misrepresentation of the actual need for shelter, but measures are in place to prevent future occurrences.
Diana I. Ayala
1:21:40
What analysis of any has been conducted on the impact of the eligibility rate being manipulated on shelter capacity or budgeting?
Molly Wasow Park
1:21:47
So first, let me just say I'm really grateful to DLI for the thorough investigation that they did.
1:21:53
I think their report is is very informative, and it's something that we've reviewed very closely.
1:22:00
Their finding was that the the impact was relatively marginal that because families were unconditional placements while this was going on so that, you know, from a on a day to day impact, there was little effect on the family's experiencing homelessness.
1:22:20
The place where there was potential impact, and and DOE laid this out in their report, was the point in time when a family might have become eligible for a city fob scout.
1:22:29
Sure.
1:22:30
But what was not called out in the report, unfortunately, is the the state of the New York City housing market, which not saying anything surprising to say is it's a very tight housing market.
1:22:43
We currently have more than 10,000 households in the shelter system who have a city theft's voucher, who are searching and looking for housing.
1:22:52
The average, on average, a family from the point in time that they receive what we call their shopping letter with city flats until they actually move out.
1:23:00
It's about 200 days because finding an apartment is really challenged.
1:23:04
Margin.
1:23:05
So while on the margins, this may have delayed the point in time that somebody got a a city fab SOUCHER BY A COUPLE OF DAYS, THE IMPACT ON MOVE outs.
1:23:17
I DON'T EVERY DAY MATTERS, BUT IT IS MATTER of days in what is a multi month period?
Diana I. Ayala
1:23:25
I mean, for me, is is is more of a I I think that the the the manipulation didn't really necessarily benefit DHS or rather the administration.
1:23:39
Because it gave the impression that the number of folks that were in need of shelter was significantly lower than the actual number of folks at shelter.
Molly Wasow Park
1:23:51
So it shouldn't have happened.
1:23:53
I do not support a death you know, changes in data like this and it will not it is not happening now and it will not happen again.
1:24:01
I want to be very clear about that.
1:24:03
But what we are right now, we are seeing fairly significant swings in eligibility rate depending on whether the bulk of the people who came in in a given week were a silam seekers who really by definition don't have a 2 year housing history that we look at or whether it's people where we're doing a more in-depth investigation.
1:24:23
But the average is about is similar to what the the average was during this time period.
1:24:31
So there's more variability, but we're not talking about significant changes in overall eligibility because what was going on was changes on day to day patterns, but not nobody was found ineligible inappropriately.
Diana I. Ayala
1:24:46
Mean, that's good news, but I think that, you know, it doesn't it doesn't take away from the fact that, you know, there was a a picture that was being painted that was inaccurate.
1:24:54
And and I and I hate when when we have quotas and and and numbers attached to the work that we do because it does encourage this type of behavior, unfortunately, you know, especially in politics, and it's it's just, you know, it's inappropriate.
1:25:10
And, obviously, doesn't help us in our oversight abilities or responsibilities.
Molly Wasow Park
1:25:18
I I agree with you.
1:25:18
Council member, it is not happening in now I will not happen again.
