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QUESTION
Why is there only one PATH intake center for homeless families in New York City?
0:59:54
ยท
127 sec
The administrator explains that having a single intake center allows for consistent messaging and services for homeless families.
- The intake center is located in the Bronx, where most homeless families come from
- Having one center ensures all families receive the same wraparound services like medical care, child services, and domestic violence support
- Centralizing intake is more cost-effective than having multiple sites across boroughs
- The goal is to meet families' needs under one roof when they arrive
Sandra Ung
0:59:54
I just have a couple of questions.
0:59:56
As far as the path intake center for families, Is there a practical reason why there is only one in the entire New York
Joslyn Carter
1:00:03
City?
1:00:05
Thank you for that question and a council member.
1:00:08
So
Angela Serda
1:00:08
one of the
Joslyn Carter
1:00:09
things that's important to us is really thinking about when families come to us and the consistency of messages, messaging that we give them prior to this administration and and historically, we have had we did have intake in all the borrowers, and we found that families were spending up to 20 you know, 20 hours waiting for intake.
1:00:28
And we really thought about intentionality as we were thinking about how do we do intake.
1:00:34
And so the Bronx, we we own that land.
1:00:37
In the Bronx, it was easier to incite that, but not only that, families who come to us primarily came from the wrongs.
1:00:43
Right?
1:00:43
And so we really wanted to think about what would we need if I was coming as, you know, a person coming into shelter.
1:00:49
What were the drivers of of of homelessness for families.
1:00:54
We knew that we needed to have support and wraparound services, and so we needed to make sure that we had a space that would have all the services in one place, and that we would be able to have that service provided to every family in the same way.
1:01:07
And so we would need, you know, support services from ACS on-site.
1:01:11
We would have medical on-site.
1:01:12
We would have children services on-site.
1:01:15
We would have domestic violence.
1:01:17
You know, safety on-site.
1:01:19
We also really looked at the cost factor.
1:01:24
It really was it back in it it's starting 25, building up in 2011, you know, over 65,000,000 back then to open the site.
1:01:32
But we also really think about how do we centralize it so that the message that families get was consistent throughout and that the efficiencies, economies of scale, but we do know that most families come from this neighborhood.
1:01:44
Signing is also another opportunity, and if somebody ever ever say anything that says, homeless shelters, and not even this intake.
1:01:52
We know what happens, but the the message that we give is that this is a place you're gonna get wraparound services when you come through the doors.
1:01:58
To get your knees met at our front door.
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Joslyn Carter, Administrator of the NYC Department of Homeless Services on the intake process and services for families with children entering DHS shelters
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What are the benefits of having a centralized homeless service site according to the NYC Department of Homeless Services?