QUESTION
How is the reduced placement in NYCHA housing being addressed?
2:25:03
·
3 min
Council Member Lincoln Restler questions the efforts to reverse the declining trend of homeless placements in NYCHA housing, highlighting the concerning reduction in numbers. Molly Wasow Park responds by emphasizing increased efforts toward permanent housing placements.
- Lincoln Restler points out a 30% reduction year-over-year in placements to NYCHA and Section 8 housing.
- Expresses concerns about a two-thirds reduction in homeless placements in NYCHA under the current administration.
- Molly Wasow Park cites a 17% increase in overall housing placements last year, aiming to exceed that this year.
- Park explains the necessity of stabilizing NYCHA housing stock, which involves complex rehabilitations and avoiding speaking for NYCHA directly.
- Restler urges for more advocacy and action from the Department of Social Services to address the issue.
Lincoln Restler
2:25:03
So there are a couple items I'd really like to dig in on today.
2:25:08
Firstly, is placements in Nitro, which as you know has been something I've been very concerned about in the trajectories and the changes that we've seen in this administration.
2:25:21
So year over year, we're looking at a 30% based on the PMMR stats.
2:25:25
We're looking at a we're on pace for a 30% reduction.
2:25:29
In the number of people placed in Nitra or in section 8 relative to last year.
2:25:35
As homelessness increases, that's a major concerning trend.
2:25:39
I'm even more concerned about the placement in Nitro specifically.
2:25:42
When the mayor came into office, we had placed 1597, 1600 households in nature apartments in 2021.
2:25:50
This year, we're on pace for 480 based on the PMM mark.
2:25:54
So a 2 third reduction in the number of homeless people that are being placed into Nitro.
2:26:00
This is the housing stock that we control our best solution for moving homeless families out into housing.
2:26:08
What is HRA and DSS and DHS doing to reverse this terrible trend.
2:26:15
There are 5000 vacant night apartments, ten times as many as when we all when they arrived.
2:26:20
What is is what are you all doing to fix this?
Molly Wasow Park
2:26:24
Thank you, Dan's member.
2:26:26
That's not a question that I can answer solo, right, because it certainly involves Nieta as well.
2:26:32
I will what I can say is that we are steadily increasing the pace of our permanent housing placements with a particular focus on our subsidized housing placements.
2:26:42
So Last year, we saw a 17% increase in housing placements overall.
2:26:46
This year, we are on track based on the PMMR data to exceed that.
Lincoln Restler
2:26:51
I appreciate some progress in other places.
2:26:53
I'm on the clock though, but is there anything you can say?
2:26:55
Because you feel the urgency more than anybody in city government.
2:26:58
You are on the hook.
2:26:59
On this census, which has exploded, not in you know, partly as a result of migrants, partly not.
2:27:05
The census has exploded you feel it every day, you wanna drive that number down, 5000 vacant night apartments, two thirds increase, two thirds reduction in night replacements from home of homeless families since THE MAYOR CAME INTO OFFICE HAPPENING EACH YEAR.
2:27:19
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT IT?
Molly Wasow Park
2:27:20
SO I, AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR NYCHO, BUT I Really RESPECT the work that they are doing to ensure the long term stabilization of that housing stock.
2:27:29
Right?
2:27:30
If we lose Nitro, we are all in a much worse off place.
2:27:35
As I think we all know that that is housing with very serious physical issues, but you can't do large scale physical rehab with a 100 percent occupied portfolio.
2:27:46
You have to be able to check our board.
2:27:48
You have to be able to do internal relocation.
2:27:51
We are absolutely making taking advantage of every nitrile unit that is available to us, and I'm gonna have to defer more details to them.
Lincoln Restler
2:27:59
I have to say, would chair, would it be a good man of deputy speaker?
2:28:02
Could I do one more item?
2:28:05
I appreciate this is Nite's job to fix up the housing.
2:28:08
But if you're not advocating with all of your potential power and pressure on city hall to fix this, it's not gonna get fixed.
2:28:17
I don't have faith.
2:28:18
We've seen no progress for nitrogen a year and a half of us screaming from the rooftops.
2:28:21
They've tried to cut funding from the budget time and again for nitrogen repairs.
2:28:25
So I just am asking that we try to work together to push this administration to get their house in order so that we don't see the number of vacant apartments continue to increase, the number of of homeless people who are stuck in the shelter system because we are no longer placing people in night shift in any meaningful way is a major problem.
Molly Wasow Park
2:28:40
I am a fear advocate for housing placements for our clients.
2:28:43
I'm always happy to collaborate, but
Lincoln Restler
2:28:45
Thank you.
Molly Wasow Park
2:28:46
I rest assured I am working every angle.
Lincoln Restler
2:28:50
Okay.
2:28:51
It's it's just every data point we see as things getting worse, not better.
