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Q&A
Street homelessness programs and subway safety plan funding and effectiveness
1:34:11
ยท
3 min
Council Member Ayala inquires about the funding and effectiveness of street homelessness programs and the subway safety plan. She notes persistent concerns despite additional funding and asks about changes in approach.
- Additional funding has been added for street homelessness programs in the preliminary plan
- $44 million added to the baseline for 900 additional safe haven and low barrier beds
- $16 million for 24/7, 365-day outreach operations citywide
- $6 million for 400 additional runaway and homeless youth beds
- Director Jiha suggests connecting with the deputy mayor for health for operational details
- No current expectations of additional state support for these programs
- Council Member Ayala expresses concern about the limited success of the subway safety plan despite funding increases
Diana Ayala
1:34:11
Yeah.
1:34:12
My my food pantry lines are getting longer and longer, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one that's seeing that.
1:34:18
They've never recovered post pandemic.
1:34:20
And with the the the current price of, you know, basic necessities, it's gotten harder.
1:34:29
I'll ask one more question, and then I'll I'll yield to my my my colleagues.
1:34:33
This is regarding the street homelessness program.
1:34:36
Outreach and other programs geared towards the city unsheltered homeless homelessness population has been significant has been a significant focus for DHS in recent years.
1:34:46
When the mayor, first announced the subway safety plan, 171,300,000.0 was baselined for the program in fiscal year twenty twenty three's executive, budget plan.
1:34:56
After the mayor's recent state of the city announcement that these efforts would be expanded, the preliminary plan included adding an additional funding for the HS3 homelessness program.
1:35:06
71,600,000.0 in fiscal year twenty five, '1 hundred and '16 million in '26, '1 hundred and '20 '3 point '5 in '27, '1 hundred and '20 '2 point '8 million in fiscal year twenty eight, and January in fiscal year twenty nine.
1:35:23
Despite the additional funding added three fiscal years ago, three street homelessness and public transit safety concerns persist.
1:35:30
The subway's safety plan seems to have had limited success.
1:35:34
How is the city changing its approach, and will the new funding be used differently?
Jacques Jiha
1:35:39
Yeah.
1:35:40
Based on the program, the way the program was designed, we we added about $44,000,000 in the baseline 900 additional safe haven and low barrier beds.
1:35:57
We added $16,000,000 in terms of 20 fourseven, three sixty five outreach operations citywide and $6,000,000 for hundred additional runaway and homeless youth beds.
1:36:13
And as you mentioned, increased funding for the software safety plan basically to existing low barriers and a robust outreach.
1:36:24
So that's where we are.
1:36:25
You know, it is I think they're doing the best that they can in terms of particularly doing big outreach.
1:36:32
We increased funding significantly for this.
1:36:36
But again, we always welcome new ideas.
1:36:39
If you have ideas, be more than happy to put you in touch with these folks too because at the end of the day, we have the same objective, try to minimize homelessness as best as possible.
Diana Ayala
1:36:49
Absolutely.
1:36:52
In the expansion of the safety the subway safety plan, how do you know how the h the OHMH, DHS, NYPD, and other city agencies coordinate their efforts?
Jacques Jiha
1:37:00
I would probably have you talk with the folks at the mayor's deputy mayor's for health, and she could give you a briefing on exactly what they're doing and in terms of what is different because I don't know the detail Yeah.
1:37:13
Of the operation.
Diana Ayala
1:37:15
Okay.
1:37:16
Is the city expecting any additional support from the state that will impact DHS three homeless programs and the implementation of the city subway safety plan?
Jacques Jiha
1:37:25
At this moment in time, I don't know.
1:37:28
I don't you know, we we are not I'm I'm not aware of any conversation with the state in terms of state giving us additional resources for this.
1:37:37
I mean, we had, you know, the whole public safety announcement in the subway, but not this kind of program.
1:37:44
No.
Diana Ayala
1:37:44
Okay.
1:37:45
Alright.
1:37:45
Thank you.
1:37:46
Thank you, chair.
Justin Brannan
1:37:48
Questions from council member Farias followed by Brooks Powers.