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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Lauren Schuster, Vice President of Government Affairs at Urban Resource Institute
4:30:39
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Lauren Schuster, Vice President of Government Affairs at Urban Resource Institute (URI), testifies before the General Welfare Committee regarding the FY '26 city budget. She highlights URI's role as a major provider of domestic violence shelter services and temporary housing for homeless families, while emphasizing the need for timely contract payments and increased funding for various programs.
- URI is owed over $20 million from the city for shelter services dating back to FY '23
- Requests an increase in flexible funding for gender-based violence survivors to $6 million
- Advocates for additional funding for youth and community-based violence prevention, healthy relationship education, and programs addressing economic abuse and accountability
Lauren Schuster
4:30:39
Good afternoon, Deputy Speaker Ayala, members of the committee, and staff of the General Welfare Committee for what has become a very, very long day.
4:30:47
I am Lauren Schuster, the Vice President of Government Affairs at Urban Resource Institute.
4:30:52
I will submit more detailed testimony later on.
4:30:55
URI is the largest provider of domestic violence shelter services in the country and a leading provider of temporary housing for families experiencing homelessness.
4:31:03
We have recently begun work on our first permanent supportive housing development to help maintain an unbroken continuum of care for our residents and participants.
4:31:13
We are grateful for the council's ongoing support of our sector, our residents, and our participants.
4:31:19
Given the uncertainty and the challenges presented by the current political moment, we hope to work together with the council to ensure that the FY '26 city budget addresses the following issues.
4:31:32
Our contracts must be paid on time.
4:31:34
URI is currently owed more than $20,000,000 from the city of New York for shelter services dating back as far as FY '23.
4:31:43
We have made some incredible progress working closely with DSS, and as you've heard Commissioner Park talk about the complexity of the funding issues that we face, but increased funding for MOCs and DSS will help us to achieve this goal.
4:31:56
Direct cash assistance for gender based violence survivors with no strings attached has had a transformative impact on survivor safety.
4:32:04
We are grateful for the flexible funding and advocate to increase it to $6,000,000 While nearly every category of major violent crime has decreased domestic violence, homicides, and felony assaults have increased or remained stubbornly flat, particularly in The Bronx and parts of Brooklyn with a disproportionate impact on black and Hispanic women.
4:32:28
We request the council's support in securing additional funding for youth and community based violence prevention and healthy relationship education, investment in programs that help survivors address economic abuse, and for accountability programming for people who have caused harm to help interrupt the cycles of generational violence that continue to fuel community based violence.
4:32:51
We thank you for your leadership and partnership and look forward to working with you moving forward.
4:32:55
Thank you.