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Q&A
Update on City FHEPS program expansion and spending
1:53:33
ยท
89 sec
Council Member Restler inquires about the $215 million commitment for City FHEPS from the City of Yes initiative. Commissioner Park provides an update on the program's current status and expansion efforts.
- City FHEPS currently serves 53,000 households, making it the largest rental subsidy program in the country after NYCHA
- The program has seen a 56% increase in households exiting shelter with City FHEPS vouchers in calendar year 2024 compared to the previous year
- No changes to eligibility criteria, but efforts are focused on improving program efficiency and increasing voucher utilization
Lincoln Restler
1:53:33
I understand it's primarily a question for them, but you all are in it's all interconnected here.
1:53:37
And the fact that you're saying it's a gradual ramp up and it will be happening over a period of months, I think does give an argument that we shouldn't be disrupting anybody's childcare in the middle of the school year.
1:53:48
I have one question on behalf of our our friend, Councilmember Sanchez.
1:53:53
The City of Yes included a commitment of $215,000,000 for City FEPPS.
1:53:58
Could you provide an update on how that spending is currently being used and what criteria DSS is using for the expansion?
Molly Wasow Park
1:54:04
So we currently operate a city FEPPS program that serves 53,000 households.
1:54:12
We are actually the largest rental subsidy program in the country except for NYCHA, so larger than any other public housing authority in the country.
1:54:20
We are very grateful for the City of Yes funding commitment to help us continue to expand the CityFepps program.
1:54:31
We've been able to significantly increase the number of households that are exiting shelter with city faps.
1:54:37
I think the number of households for calendar year '24 that exited shelter with city faps is a 56% increase from the prior year.
1:54:46
We have not changed the criteria, but what we are really doing is making sure that the program is working as well as possible and that we are getting vouchers into the hands of everybody who qualifies and that as many as possible are able to use them.