TESTIMONY
Alison Wilkey on Proposed Funding Impact on NYC Homeless Shelter System and Related Programs
4:08:18
·
3 min
Alison Wilkey outlines the Coalition for the Homeless' position on proposed NYC shelter system funding, advocating for increased investment and policy changes.
- Wilkey emphasizes the need for more low barrier shelter settings, including single occupancy safe havens and stabilization beds.
- She discusses the importance of expanded intensive mobile treatment teams and funding for assertive community treatment teams to support unsheltered individuals with serious mental illnesses.
- Wilkey raises concerns about the city's commitment to the right to shelter and reports an increase in complaints from homeless individuals facing issues with shelter placements.
- The testimony highlights the lack of budget increases for the CityFHEPS program despite its expansion and the need to address processing delays.
- Wilkey concludes with a call for significant investment in affordable housing specific to homeless and extremely low-income New Yorkers, proposing a $2.5 billion construction financing initiative.
Alison Wilkey
4:08:18
Good afternoon.
4:08:19
My name is Alison Wilke, and I'm the Director of Government Affairs And Strategic Campaigns With the Coalition for the homeless.
4:08:24
Thank you, Deputy Speaker.
4:08:25
For the opportunity to testify.
4:08:27
As the Court and City appointed independent monitor of the DHS shelter system along with our partners at the legal aid society, were uniquely situated to provide insight into the impact of proposed funding for the shelter system and related programs serving all on how's New York we will submit full written testimony, but I'd like to focus today on 5 priorities.
4:08:48
First, the city needs to invest more in low barrier shelter settings, including single occupancy safe havens and stabilization beds.
4:08:56
The mayors often stated the need for creating more safe haven beds, but the city and state instead are doubling down on policing homelessness, which we know does not work.
4:09:04
The coalition has called for at least 3000 additional safe haven beds, but so far in FY 24 according to the PMMR, the city's created only a 120 new beds.
4:09:17
2nd, the city needs expanded intensive mobile treatment teams and more funding for assertive community treatment teams.
4:09:24
Both ACT and IMT are a critical part of addressing the needs of un sheltered people with serious mental illness.
4:09:31
But just a few days ago, we had an internal meeting about a client of the coalition for the homeless who has been waiting a year and a half to be connected with an IMT team.
4:09:41
No one should wait that long, and our experience is in no way unique.
4:09:45
3rd, we're very concerned with the city's attack on the right to shelter.
4:09:49
And with the day to day problems, we're seeing as our clients are trying to avail themselves of that life saving.
4:09:54
Right?
4:09:55
While we acknowledge that the city has managed significant influx of new arrivals.
4:09:59
It doesn't relieve the city of its legal and moral responsibility to provide safeties and accessible shelter to those who need it.
4:10:06
In the past month, the coalition has received a surge of complaints from homeless longer term New Yorkers who either trans heard from their existing placement or newly entering the shelter system and were directed to a placement only to learn when they arrived at the shelter didn't have a bed available or that they were sent to the wrong shelter site.
4:10:27
So this has resulted in people sleeping in chairs for days.
4:10:31
Or being back out on the street, both of which are unacceptable.
4:10:36
We're also seeing significant delays in the processing and fulfilling of our quest for reasonable accommodations for homeless individuals with disabilities.
4:10:43
So whether the cause here is insufficient budgets, too few staff, lack of training or mismanagement, the same, the result is the same that people's rights are being denied.
4:10:53
4th, I know we've already covered a lot in questioning about the city fence program and that expansion and the chronic underfunding.
4:10:59
But I do just wanna note that that the city's preliminary budget doesn't include any increases based on increased eligibility from the law that the city council passed in the fall.
4:11:10
And I'd just like to note that the successful expansion of CityFabs really is dependent on the city fixing the delays and the hurdles that plagued every step of the process and that our clients experience constantly.
4:11:22
And then finally, to end homelessness, the city must create more affordable housing for homeless and extremely low income New Yorkers.
4:11:29
We're calling on the city to allocate two and a half $1,000,000,000 in new construction financing each year for the next 5 years for apartments to be specifically built for homeless and extremely low income New Yorker That funding would support doubling the set aside in new affordable housing developments for homeless households to 30% building an additional 6000 apartments per year for extremely low income households and accelerating the creation of 15,000 city funded supportive housing units by scheduling their completion by 2025 instead of 2030.
4:12:04
So we look forward to working with the council on the budget and other slation to address the needs who are unhoused or precariously housed throughout New York City.
