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Q&A
Impact of changing shelter population dynamics on the city budget
1:23:12
ยท
84 sec
Council Member Ayala asks about the budget impact of declining asylum seeker numbers and increasing New Yorkers in shelters. Director Jiha explains the challenges faced by the administration due to these shifting demographics.
- The shelter population of non-asylum seekers is growing, including people returning to the system
- The CityFHEPS program cost has increased from $400 million to $1.1 billion
- Both shelter population and housing voucher usage are at record highs, putting stress on the budget
- Specific numbers on increased spending for DHS shelters were not immediately available
Diana Ayala
1:23:12
Yeah.
1:23:13
How does that how does that because we're seeing a trend we're trending downward on asylum seeker housing needs, but we're also seeing an increase in the number of New Yorkers in shelter needing to be placed.
1:23:27
How does that, you know, impact the budget?
Jacques Jiha
1:23:30
Well, that's the challenge.
1:23:32
We're having this is a piece that at some point we're gonna have some discussions about the growing census that we see in the shelter, non asylum seekers, shelter population.
1:23:44
So a lot of people are coming.
1:23:45
They used to be in the system before, left New York, came back to New York, get back into the system again.
1:23:51
So this is one issue.
1:23:53
We have the issue of CDFAPs.
1:23:55
That program is project is going be like $1,100,000,000.
1:24:00
This is years ago.
1:24:01
It was about $400,000,000.
1:24:03
So, you know, it is so at the same time, the population of shelter is growing, the number of people in the voucher is also growing, a record high.
1:24:12
So it's like we're getting hit on both sides.
1:24:15
So it's it's it's a lot of stress on the budget.
Diana Ayala
1:24:18
Yeah.
1:24:18
How much more did we spend this fiscal year on DHS shelters with the increase in in in the population there in the census?
Jacques Jiha
1:24:30
Do I have it here?
1:24:32
Let's see if I have it here.
1:24:34
I'll get back to you on this, this specific number.
Diana Ayala
1:24:36
I appreciate it.