QUESTION
What are the costs of reprocessing asylum seekers, and how is the city addressing the emergency housing situation?
2:44:00
·
136 sec
Molly Wasow Park, Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, discusses the city's challenges in managing the asylum seeker situation but is unable to provide specific costs related to reprocessing.
- The city struggles to meet the needs of asylum seekers due to emergency situations and the 30-day time limit policy.
- Despite the ongoing arrival of people, the focus remains on moving individuals through to make space for new arrivals.
- Park acknowledges the importance of finding permanent housing for these individuals but cannot provide specific budget details.
- Council Member Rivera expresses disappointment over not receiving cost analyses and stresses the need for efficiency in processes such as wait lists and mobile outreach.
Carlina Rivera
2:44:00
Have you done an analysis of external or duplicative duplicative cost to continually reprocessing people through your system such as transportation, food waste, administrative costs.
Molly Wasow Park
2:44:14
Council member, we as a city, and and at this point, I'm I'm speaking as an administration official, not specifically for DSS, but have really been struggling to meet the needs of the asylum seekers.
2:44:26
The the time limits are a challenging policy and I certainly acknowledge that, but we are in an emergency situation that really merits emergency solutions.
2:44:38
We need to make sure that we are focused on on moving people through.
2:44:42
You know, none of these individuals came to the United States for shelter.
2:44:47
They came for work for opportunity.
2:44:49
So making sure that we are focused on that and that we're really that we're also making space for the next round of people because the, you know, although it is not quite as bad as it's been, the buses haven't stopped.
2:45:01
We continue to get people every day.
2:45:05
So recognize the challenges that come with the 30 day time limit, but also really need to acknowledge that we are in an emergency situation.
2:45:14
And because this isn't in the DSS budget, I can't speak to the specific dollar amounts.
Carlina Rivera
2:45:19
No.
2:45:19
And I I I know that because of the OEM and and H and H but I did ask you this question just a few days ago in fact.
2:45:27
So I was hoping I'm disappointed you didn't bring that number.
2:45:31
But you don't have that number with you since I had asked about same digits.
2:45:34
And all I'll just say is that just my questions are really rooted in looking at the efficiencies to your processes.
2:45:40
Operating the wait lists, the costs associated with mobile outreach, like, for those that are sleeping on the street or in the subways, and and how have those analyses been going?
2:45:50
I mean, we wanna make sure that the cost of street outreach and shell ultrastase is clear.
2:45:56
Right?
2:45:56
We wanna house folks.
2:45:57
We don't want them sleeping on the street.
Molly Wasow Park
2:46:00
I couldn't agree more.
2:46:01
Permanent housing is the end goal for everybody.
2:46:04
We're really focused on that within the agency.
2:46:07
That's why we saw the 17% increase last year that we're on track to exceed this year.
Carlina Rivera
2:46:13
Okay.
2:46:13
Well, thank you very much, madam, chair for the time.
