PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Chris Mann, Assistant Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Women In Need (WIN)
2:03:27
·
144 sec
Chris Mann from Women In Need (WIN) testifies about the challenges faced by domestic violence survivors in New York City's shelter system. He highlights the lack of permanent housing options for survivors and supports proposed legislation to improve data collection and reporting on domestic violence shelters.
- Domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for families with children in NYC, surpassing evictions and overcrowding
- There has been an 18% drop in households leaving HRA domestic violence shelters for permanent housing between 2018-2023
- WIN supports Intro 2572, Intro 2573, and Resolution 363 to address issues in the domestic violence shelter system and improve outcomes for survivors
Chris Mann
2:03:27
Good afternoon.
2:03:28
Shares of Ayala and Lewis.
2:03:30
Thank you and the committee members for the opportunity to submit testimony today.
2:03:35
My name is Chris Mann.
2:03:35
I'm the assistant vice president of policy and advocacy at Wynn, which is the city's largest provider of shelter and supportive services for families experiencing homelessness.
2:03:46
We operate 16 shelters and about 500 units of permanent supportive housing throughout the five boroughs.
2:03:52
Last night, 7000 people called Wynn Home, including over 3600 children.
2:03:59
Domestic violence remains a leading cause of homelessness for families with children in New York City.
2:04:04
Surpassing evictions and overcrowding.
2:04:07
In fiscal year 23, more than 20% of families with children entering DHS shelter cited domestic violence as the primary cause of their homelessness.
2:04:18
At when we see the impacts of domestic violence on families every day.
2:04:22
90% of the families we serve are headed by women, and many of them have fled abusive situations seeking safety and stability for the themselves and their children.
2:04:32
Despite this immense need, we're facing significant gaps in housing options for survivors of domestic violence.
2:04:39
The number of households leaving HRA domestic violence shelters for permanent housing has dropped by 18% between 20182023.
2:04:48
Of the more than 2000 survival led households who exited emergency shelter in 2023, 50% moved to another shelter rather than permanent housing.
2:04:58
With such limited housing options, survivors are often forced into a cycle of shelter to shelter movement because of arbitrary shelter stay limits in the DV system.
2:05:09
This instability is devastating for families seeking safety and a chance to rebuild their lives.
2:05:14
This is why we support t 2572, which would expand reporting on exits from domestic violent shelters.
2:05:22
Wynn also supports 2573, which is aimed at helping to better understand demand for domestic violent shelters.
2:05:30
We do have a couple of questions about how to source that data.
2:05:34
Additionally, we urge the council to pass resolution 363 introduced by council member Gail Brewer, which calls on the state to pass legislation that would end harmful impacts of shelter limits and codify right to shelter and DHS DV and all shelter systems.
2:05:50
Thank you.
