PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Diana Ramos, CityFHEPS Voucher Holder, on Issues with the CityFHEPS Program
1:18:35
ยท
4 min
Diana Ramos, a CityFHEPS voucher holder, testifies about the numerous challenges she faces with the program, including lack of information, poor living conditions, and difficulties in transferring to a new apartment. She highlights issues such as maintenance problems, pest infestations, and the absence of clear communication from program administrators.
- Ramos describes specific problems in her apartment, including a non-functioning toilet, mice infestation, and faulty electrical outlets.
- She expresses frustration about the lack of information on how to transfer apartments or access utility assistance.
- Ramos mentions that her neighbors are facing similar issues, including potential evictions and long waits for shopping letters.
Diana Ramos
1:18:35
Good morning.
1:18:35
My name is Diana Ramos.
1:18:37
I am a current city faps voucher holder, and I receive city faps.
1:18:45
My my main issue is lack of information, trying to find information.
1:18:51
It is I, myself, am having an issue where I really need to get out of my apartment and move somewhere safer.
1:19:00
I love to give you a little bit of an experience.
1:19:05
Last year, I was left without a working toilet for 4 days.
1:19:09
I did call 8, 311.
1:19:12
They, you know, did come, but 4 days.
1:19:15
My maintenance management company left me without a toilet for 4 days.
1:19:19
I'm a diabetic.
1:19:20
That puts stress on my body, you know, and then you're afraid to you know?
1:19:24
Thankfully, I'm a resourceful girl, military brat.
1:19:27
So, that this is a situation.
1:19:31
When I initially got into my apartment, it was inspected.
1:19:35
They did not do, like, replace some of the outlets that needed to be replaced.
1:19:39
Not a big deal.
1:19:40
I, you know, don't use that.
1:19:41
I don't have, like, a lot of electronics, but I don't have a GFI in my bathroom.
1:19:46
These are little things.
1:19:47
Well, you know, semi little things.
1:19:49
The toilet's a little bit bigger, and I do have mice in my oven and no holes in my apartment.
1:19:55
Just you know?
1:19:55
So these are situations.
1:19:58
I wanna move.
1:19:59
You know?
1:19:59
I I wanna go to, you know, closer to where I attend church, closer to where I do, volunteering with safety net activists, and I have no clue how to do that.
1:20:10
I actually you know, thankfully, I am part of safety net activist.
1:20:13
I can ask that question.
1:20:15
Well, what's a good cause?
1:20:16
Who do I contact?
1:20:17
I haven't heard anything from home base.
1:20:18
I've I've, lived in my apartment since September 2022.
1:20:22
Haven't heard a darn thing from home base.
1:20:26
Wouldn't know how to do that.
1:20:27
You know?
1:20:29
I did not know about the utility allowance.
1:20:32
I'm a little bit bitter about this because I was on cash assistance.
1:20:37
Recently just got on SSI.
1:20:39
Don't know what the process is.
1:20:41
How, you know, how's that gonna work?
1:20:43
I don't know any of these processes.
1:20:45
I'm an intelligent woman.
1:20:47
I you know, I've been to college, university.
1:20:49
You know, obviously, I do activism.
1:20:51
So where is this?
1:20:53
You know, my my my neighbors who are about to be evicted because of crisis is, They're telling they're they're being told they they didn't know that, you know, they could be fighting for the city's expansion laws to be initiated.
1:21:11
Some have families in shelters who are waiting for their shopping letters.
1:21:17
It's a 30 day of 90 day that was supposed you know, that, oh, we were taking away the 90 day, but it's still waiting 90 days.
1:21:25
We requested these in October.
1:21:28
It's been over 90 days since, you know, we to get these letters.
1:21:33
There are so many issues with Citi FAP's vouchers, and, you know, there's so many little red flags and stuff.
1:21:41
I heard nothing on how we're gonna do this.
1:21:45
How are you going to get information to someone like myself who wants to know how to transfer her apartment?
1:21:51
Because I am tired my current toilet is currently clogged up again.
1:21:56
I am tired of calling my management company and asking to please snake my toilet.
1:22:03
I am tired of being sent an exterminator who says your apartment is airtight.
1:22:10
You need a new oven.
1:22:11
That's why.
1:22:12
That's where the mouse mice are living.
1:22:14
You know?
1:22:15
I am tired of having to ask for this.
1:22:17
Elevators being down, I cannot go up 8 flights, you know, 8 floors worth of stairs.
1:22:23
I have neighbors who are on who who are or who are mobility scooters.
1:22:27
I have a neighbor who uses a walker.
1:22:30
This is ridiculous.
1:22:32
This is absolutely insane.
1:22:34
You know, as I said, neighbors who don't know how to renew.
1:22:40
They were never given that information.
1:22:42
I helped them because I knew the information, but I didn't know anything about that utility assistance.
1:22:48
Because when it was enacted, I was already receiving voucher, didn't receive any mail about how to get utility assistance, how to qualify.
1:22:56
Here's a form.
1:22:57
Nothing.
1:22:58
Again, I have SNA, SNP to help me get information.
1:23:05
There's people out there who don't.
1:23:07
It is absolutely ridiculous.
1:23:09
It's absolutely insane.
1:23:11
And and yeah.
1:23:12
Bitter?
1:23:13
Yeah.
1:23:14
Totally bitter because I'm in arrears with my electric.
1:23:18
So