PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Joshua Elmore, Supervising Attorney of HIV/AIDS Representation Project at Legal Aid Society
1:22:00
ยท
4 min
Joshua Elmore, representing the Legal Aid Society's HIV/AIDS Representation Project, testified about the deteriorating quality of services provided by HASA (HIV/AIDS Services Administration). He highlighted issues with client access to caseworkers, problems with the application process, and concerns about how COLA adjustments affect long-term HASA recipients.
- Clients face significant difficulties in reaching their caseworkers, often due to unassigned cases or lack of communication channels.
- The HASA service line has been integrated into HRA's one number system, making it less accessible for clients.
- The 30-day application process is often delayed and manipulated to appear compliant with legal requirements.
- Long-term, elderly HASA recipients are being disadvantaged by the current budgeting system, particularly when receiving COLA increases to their Social Security income.
Joshua Elmore
1:22:00
Good morning, Joshua Elmore, hehim.
1:22:02
I'm the supervising attorney for legal aids, HIV, Legal Aid Society's HIV AIDS representation project.
1:22:09
We're citywide civil practice and the bulk of our practices.
1:22:13
Advocating on clients, for clients to receive their legally entitled to hostage benefits.
1:22:19
What we've seen, is a really for many of us have been working with hostage a deterioration over the years in the quality of services, particularly as as many people have noted, clients' abilities to access their case workers.
1:22:35
Often, they don't have assigned case workers.
1:22:37
Those who do, we're unable to reach them.
1:22:39
They're unable to reach them either at their centers, to the extent home visits are happening.
1:22:45
They're often unannounced.
1:22:47
They don't have a working cell phone.
1:22:50
Clients can't leave voice messages.
1:22:52
This is a serious issue.
1:22:53
And so, while much of what HASSA said is how in their testimony is how things are supposed to work, in actuality, that's often not the case for our clients.
1:23:03
I do want to specifically respond to a few things that were noticed the service line.
1:23:08
That used to be a public facing telephone number that clients could reach to enroll access benefits that has been rolled into HRS one number.
1:23:18
So the only way that clients can practically speaking, from both client reporting as well as testing our practice is done.
1:23:27
You can no longer access the service line by phone because it's part of HRA's one number.
1:23:32
It simply does not work.
1:23:33
Clients have to go in person either to their center, or to 400 to meet with service line staff.
1:23:41
This obviously puts an additional burden on disabled, people who might have difficulties visiting in person, and this used to be a service available to public facing Tuhasah recipients.
1:23:53
The thirty day figure was noted as a legally mandated, requirement.
1:23:59
Often, this process is delayed because they will not consider the applications until all documentation is provided by the client.
1:24:07
The caseworkers often do not help clients obtain this documentation.
1:24:12
Additionally, clients repeatedly are asked to sign documents that are on dated, and then the caseworker will date them to indicate thirty days so that they can show that the decision made was in thirty days.
1:24:25
But those are made up dates effectively.
1:24:28
We've seen this happen consistently, as have advocates at other organizations.
1:24:33
The case by case financial assistance is what effectively is a one shot deal, as we refer to it more, in sort of the regular H R a context.
1:24:44
And I want one thing that's challenging.
1:24:46
We see with hostage recipients is the rental assistance unit as a part of H R a has.
1:24:52
Vastly improved.
1:24:53
And so you can work directly as an advocate with R a u to get a quick answer for clients who are days away from eviction or are in fact already been evicted.
1:25:03
This is a process that has to does not take advantage.
1:25:07
It's regular takes months.
1:25:10
To or whereas the R a u process will take only days.
1:25:14
This seriously puts HSA clients at disadvantage and doesn't allow, advocate informed process to take place.
1:25:24
Hasa caseworkers are not aware or often, informed around the legal proceedings in housing court, so the process is completely disconnected from the legal realities we as advocates face.
1:25:37
And I realize it's time, but I do just wanna point out one other thing, and that is the COLA adjustments.
1:25:43
One, one real issue that that the HASA budgeting has, the way clients are determined to be budgeted is based on their actual rent.
1:25:52
So a client who has ten fifty s s I income and lives in $1,000 apartment has been there for decades will get cut off.
1:26:01
Whereas a client with $10.15 income in a $2,500 apartment hospital continue to pay so long term elderly clients are being kicked off due to coal increases and the only solution for them the only way they could get re enrolled as Hasa is to move to a more expensive apartment.
1:26:19
So they lose that benefit due to how Hasa budgets.
1:26:23
So, and I'm happy to provide additional information and written testimony.
1:26:28
This is a really perverse incentive and troubling as it's not something that happens with city thefts or other programs.
1:26:35
And it really displaces in most burdens.
1:26:38
Long term low rent apartments for elderly long term hospital recipients.