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Q&A

Concerns about client communication and data analysis in the CityFHEPS process

0:28:54

·

3 min

Council Member Alexa Avilés expresses concerns about client communication and data analysis in the CityFHEPS process. Commissioner Molly Wasow Park responds by explaining the agency's approach to monitoring and improving the program.

The agency conducts training for staff to improve communication with clients about available resources.
DSS monitors data on public assistance enrollment and cash assistance rates on a shelter-by-shelter basis.
The agency follows up with providers where cash assistance rates are lower than expected and investigates deviations from expected outcomes.

Alexa Avilés

0:28:54

So how, so it sounds like it sounds like there's like a soft process happening.

0:29:01

And I guess, from the perspective of a client, when you're when you're not given the shopping letter, you're like inedible and and moving other places without real clarity around why.

0:29:11

So I guess I just would like to understand if the agency is really looking at those, at those particular moments and looking at the data and and, understanding why is it happening at that point to look at trends that could help us kind of, ensure that that the the service provision is able to to respond to gaps and or challenges that maybe we're not set up to look at.

0:29:36

So that's a little bit of my concern with this not reporting in some kind of ways where these gaps are happening, because we see the back end of it.

0:29:47

We just get people who are frustrated and say, I'm constantly bumped out.

0:29:51

I'm not eligible.

0:29:52

I don't understand.

0:29:53

I'm, you know, in a hotel.

0:29:54

So I guess I'd love to understand more how how the agency can be more nuanced and assess those those particular points in time.

0:30:03

Right.

Molly Wasow Park

0:30:04

So and and I hear you, and we can you know, we have been doing a lot of training with our with our staff.

0:30:12

I can can ask my colleague here to speak more about the training.

0:30:16

And I think one of the things that we should should be making sure is that housing specialists and case workers are making sure to communicate with the with clients about the full spectrum of resources that are out there.

0:30:31

Right?

0:30:31

CityFEPs is a big one, and growing.

0:30:33

Right?

0:30:33

We have grown overwhelmingly in the last several years, but also that making sure that people understand that there may be section 8 vouchers, there may be NYCHA vouchers, there are FEP, city, state FEPs is a resource that's available, and helping them understand that spectrum of of resources.

0:30:53

But absolutely, we do look at data.

0:30:56

You know, the 2 primary, qualifications for city fepps for those in shelter are receipt of public assistance, and and, the work hours.

0:31:08

And absolutely, we look at data on public assistance on a very regular basis.

0:31:13

It's important to us for all kinds of reasons.

0:31:16

It plays into not only the resources that clients have for, their own financial stability, but it affects our ability to claim, shelter costs from the state, so it matters very much for the city's budget as well as for city FEP's eligibility.

0:31:31

We're monitoring, cash assistance enrollment on a shelter by shelter basis.

0:31:38

We are doing outreach.

0:31:39

We are following up with the providers where, it looks like the cash assistance rates are not as high as they should be.

0:31:47

There may be a slew of reasons for that.

0:31:48

If you have, you know, a shelter with a higher proportion of recent immigrants, it's gonna gonna have lower cash assistance rates, but, but we do do a lot of follow-up.

0:32:00

And and, you know, as my colleague mentioned, we are looking at exactly how many placements people have, how many shopping letters that they have, and anytime we see any deviation from where we expect people to be, we will absolutely do that.

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Discussion on tracking ineligibility for CityFHEPS vouchers

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Role of providers in case management and support for CityFHEPS clients