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Q&A
Examination of cost savings in asylum seeker response
2:34:41
·
144 sec
Council Member Avilés questions OASO Director Schaefer about the reported cost savings in the asylum seeker response. Schaefer provides information on the preliminary budget plan and shelter closures.
- Preliminary plan reflects asylum seeker savings of $1.09 billion in FY25 and $1.34 billion in FY26
- Total citywide asylum seeker savings estimated at nearly $5.2 billion over three fiscal years
- More shelter sites have been closed than opened
- Council member expresses concern about potential shifting of costs within the system rather than actual savings
Alexa Avilés
2:34:41
fiscal year mixed up.
2:34:43
It's June to June.
2:34:44
We'll follow-up on that.
2:34:48
You mentioned cost savings in your testimony.
2:34:54
Can you walk us through how exactly you determine cost savings if they're actual savings or they're just like projected savings in the future?
Molly Schaefer
2:35:06
So I'd have to defer to OMB on their exact methodology.
2:35:10
I can talk a little bit about some of the things that we have done to get to those savings.
2:35:15
But the preliminary plan reflects asylum seeker savings of 1,090,000,000.00 in FY twenty five and 1,340,000,000.00 in FY '26.
2:35:27
So this brings the total citywide asylum seeker savings to nearly $5,200,000,000 over three fiscal years.
2:35:36
And just to say we had 37 closed this fiscal year to date.
2:35:41
And so it'll be 53 by the end of FY 'twenty five.
Alexa Avilés
2:35:45
And yet we have shelters opening up in other parts of the system.
2:35:48
And so is that taken into account or are we just like moving chairs on the deck?
Molly Schaefer
2:35:54
So that site, if you're specifically talking about Bruckner, has allowed us to close other sites.
2:36:00
So we still have 40,000
Alexa Avilés
2:36:01
Well, I'm talking about the system wide.
2:36:03
It's not just Bruckner.
2:36:04
Obviously we're shifting.
2:36:07
And so the question here is there actually a net savings or is it simply just shifting within the system?
Molly Schaefer
2:36:16
So you'd have to ask OMB exactly.
2:36:18
There is a net saving on asylum seekers costs.
2:36:22
And we have not opened the same amount of DHS shelter sites that we have closed at this point.
2:36:29
We have net closed more sites than we have opened.
Alexa Avilés
2:36:33
Yeah, this is definitely a slippery conversation because there are a bunch of other factors within that that I'm sure are driving all kinds of costs.
2:36:44
In terms of how many excuse me.
2:36:47
Let me see.
2:36:56
What is the process for reallocating immigrant families when a shelter close closes and how much notice are they given?
Molly Schaefer
2:37:04
So it depends on the shelter and it depends on where people are moving.