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Q&A
Asylum seeker-related funding and budget allocations for FY2026
2:15:37
·
4 min
Dr. Katz and James Cassidy explain the allocation of funds for asylum seeker-related costs in the FY2026 budget, including the transition of services from Health + Hospitals to the Department of Homeless Services (DHS).
- $697 million is allocated for asylum seeker-related costs in FY2026
- Funding is distributed by DHS based on volume, which is decreasing for Health + Hospitals
- Health + Hospitals' role in asylum seeker services was meant to be temporary and emergency-based
- Most Health + Hospitals asylum seeker programs will end by June, except for the Row Hotel due to an existing lease
- Budget allocations may be adjusted further by the Office of Management and Budget based on actual needs
Kristy Marmorato
2:15:37
to people I'm sorry.
2:15:40
I just wanna check talk about the asylum seeker city funding reallocation.
2:15:46
The preliminary plan indicates that an additional 697,000,000 in fiscal year twenty twenty six only for asylum seekers related costs.
2:15:55
Can and it's allocated funding from HRA, their budget.
2:16:01
Can you kind of touch and explain what this money is being used for?
2:16:05
And would you know if the money is already in HRA going towards the asylum seekers and it's just being transferred over to you to help asylum seekers, or is it being pulled from other resources and other people that it's helping at HRA?
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:16:21
Right.
2:16:22
So OMB gives it to HRA, then Specifically for asylum seekers.
2:16:29
Yeah.
2:16:30
Actually, I I don't mean HRA.
2:16:31
DHS gives it to DHS.
2:16:34
And then DHS distributes it based on volume, which in our case is going way down.
2:16:41
I mean, not just because of the number of asylum seekers going way down, but health and hospital's role in this was always meant to be an emergency.
2:16:52
Right?
2:16:52
The city was, you'll remember back, was getting the buses.
2:16:56
Sometimes it would be a thousand new people a day.
2:16:58
Mhmm.
2:16:59
And there's just no way for DHS, given its existing job, to now have a thousand new people a day.
2:17:07
And so that was we opened the Roosevelt.
2:17:10
We give people vaccinations.
2:17:12
We test them for TB.
2:17:14
We assign the kids to schools.
2:17:16
We get them to health insurance.
Kristy Marmorato
2:17:18
No.
2:17:18
I know that you guys love the the housing industry now, and that's, like, looks like your lateral move that you're really trying to get into.
2:17:24
I'm just curious.
2:17:24
Is this just for medical costs or is this just for No, this mostly not medical costs.
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:17:30
Medical costs is completely separate.
2:17:32
So the idea now is we are Roosevelt is going to close in June.
2:17:40
The case management program will end in June.
2:17:43
And the only program left we will have is the Roe Hotel because we were given the lease.
2:17:50
We didn't negotiate the lease, and its lease goes till 2026.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:17:56
Okay.
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:17:56
But all of it is going to move.
2:17:58
This is no longer an emergency, and it's not we are not the primary group.
2:18:06
We'll all move to DHS, and they will be able, we think now, because the numbers are more like 50 a day instead of 10,000 actually, thousand a day.
2:18:17
And so they should be able to do it without difficulty.
2:18:20
So we will be out of the business come July 1 with the exception of the Row Hotel.
Kristy Marmorato
2:18:27
So what what is this money for next year's budget going towards?
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:18:31
So this would be, again, what it is based on what is assumed to be the expenses for the people who are left in the Row Hotel.
James Cassidy
2:18:40
And I think there may be additional, you know, through the rest of the fiscal year, you know, the exact budget, the OMB may further adjust these, you know, numbers.
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:18:48
So they could move down.
James Cassidy
2:18:50
Right.
2:18:50
Right.
Kristy Marmorato
2:18:51
So lot
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:18:51
of money shifted.
2:18:52
Right.
2:18:53
So OMB will always distribute it based on volume, basically.
2:18:57
Yes.
2:18:57
Okay.
2:18:58
I think the short answer.
Kristy Marmorato
2:18:59
Okay.
2:19:00
Okay.
2:19:00
Thank you.
2:19:00
Thank you, chair, so much.
2:19:01
I appreciate it.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:19:03
Thank you.
2:19:04
You see when you have medical team here to ask a question, you take me back to the era when you start talking about the trauma opening, trying to close, stop the bleeding.
2:19:14
So thank you.
2:19:16
I love to have practitioner to be in charge of the medical part of our lives because we're in good hand, I hope, with Allstate, which is doctor Mitch Katz.
Lincoln Restler
2:19:26
Thank you.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:19:26
Thank you.
2:19:27
We're in good hand with you.
2:19:28
So thank you.
2:19:29
Not a kind of advertisement for all sake.
2:19:32
It's just like because we appreciate your help and Patsy, thank you.
2:19:36
Always amazing.
2:19:38
James, thank you for being here.
2:19:40
And of course, go break in the back.
2:19:42
Thank you.
2:19:43
Thank you everything.
2:19:44
Thank you.
2:19:45
Oh, my beautiful.
2:19:46
So thank you all of you for being here.
2:19:50
We appreciate you.
2:19:51
If you wanna stay for the follow-up, it's up to you, but we appreciate you to stay if you can.
Dr. Mitch Katz
2:19:57
I'll stay.
Mercedes Narcisse
2:19:58
So I know you.
2:19:59
Thank you.
2:20:00
Appreciate you.
2:20:01
Okay.