REMARKS
Council Member Sandy Nurse introduces legislation to simplify supportive housing applications
1:20:19
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Council Member Sandy Nurse introduces Introduction 1191, which aims to evaluate and simplify the 2010e supportive housing application process in New York City. She explains the current lengthy and complex application process and the need to remove barriers for prospective tenants.
- The bill would require the city to identify which elements of the application are required by various levels of government and eliminate city-created barriers.
- Nurse acknowledges that while this bill is not a complete solution, it's a step towards ensuring faster access to supportive housing.
- She thanks her staff and supportive housing advocates for their work on developing the legislation.
Sandy Nurse
1:20:19
Thank you, majority leader.
1:20:21
Today, I'm introducing introduction eleven ninety one, which refers to the 2010 e application, which is how New York City determines supportive housing eligibility.
1:20:33
Completing the application can take months and in the most extreme cases, a year.
1:20:39
It requires various documentation including proof of identity, medication and hospitalization history, proof of homelessness, a psychiatric evaluation, and more.
1:20:48
It's a months long process that does not account for other wait times in the placement process and can act as an administrative burden at best and at worst a deterrent for prospective tenants.
1:20:59
To state the obvious, it should not take this long to fill out the supportive housing application, and we should make it as easy as possible to get into supportive housing.
1:21:08
This is why I'm introducing intro eleven ninety one to evaluate and simplify the twenty ten e supportive housing application where possible.
1:21:18
This bill would require the city to identify which elements of the application are also required by city, state, and federal governments through law, funding agreements, or other regulations and would eliminate any city created barriers that prolong the application process.
1:21:32
This bill is certainly not a silver bullet and cannot single handedly cut all the red tape standing in the way of a potential robust housing first program.
1:21:41
But I hope and am confident we can eliminate barriers when and where possible to ensure people can get into supportive housing faster.
1:21:48
And I wanna thank, my staff member, Ryan Hickey, who's really worked on this for over a year, and I also thank, many of the supportive housing advocates and providers who informed on it and helped develop it.
1:22:02
And I ask my colleagues to consider it and sign on.
1:22:04
Thank you very much.