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QUESTION
What is the total budget for the NYC subway safety plan, and how effective has it been in addressing homelessness and safety?
2:10:30
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The NYC subway safety plan, involving multiple agencies, focuses on addressing homelessness and safety, with varying degrees of success highlighted by officials.
- Commissioner Molly Wasow Park acknowledges the complex challenge of homelessness and describes a comprehensive approach involving DHS, DLHMH, HNH, MTA, NYPD among others.
- More than 39,400 engagements reported, with almost 7,000 unique individuals placed into shelters or safe havens, and 397 permanently housed.
- Challenges include the iterative nature of the work and a dynamic population, with each individual requiring dozens to hundreds of engagements.
- The plan's total budget is difficult to pin down, with Park citing an additional $170 million for DHS as part of the initiative, on top of existing funds across involved agencies.
- The potential impact of the governor's security measures on the outreach work remains uncertain, with a need for further evaluation.
Kevin Riley
2:10:30
And lastly, the subway safety plan, could you give me the total budget for the subway safety plan?
2:10:37
I know that 16,000,000 was added in fiscal year 2024.
2:10:41
Do you believe that this plan has been effective?
2:10:44
I just read a article that was just released today.
2:10:46
I believe it has close to 380 homeless individuals who were sleeping on the subways.
2:10:54
Do you believe it has been effective since it's been implemented in 2022?
2:10:58
I mean, how has the government's plan to release the National Guard interfered with the subway plan.
2:11:06
I took the train here from Baychester today, The entire subway was full with people sleeping on it, and I didn't see any outreach worker or anyone, you know, trying to help them out.
2:11:21
And I did see a lot of individuals who are coming on the train speaking very horribly about these individuals.
2:11:27
So I just wanna know, do you believe that this plan is successful?
2:11:31
I mean, if you could just give me some numbers.
2:11:33
And that's my last question.
2:11:34
Thank you, Cher.
Molly Wasow Park
2:11:35
You, Council member, some really important issues that you raised there.
2:11:39
So people who are experiencing un sheltered homelessness have failed by every level of government, all parts of society.
2:11:45
Right?
2:11:46
They have they have fallen through every crack there is to fall through.
2:11:49
And working with this population and addressing that is something that is incredibly challenging and goes well beyond just DHS.
2:11:59
So one of the things that I think is really most important about the subway safety plan is that it brings together DHS, DLHMH, HNH, MTA, NYPD, host of other agencies really thinking more comprehensively than we've done in the past.
2:12:17
About meeting people's needs.
2:12:19
I think there's a lot of really positive indicators just to read off a few statistics We've had more than 39 4000 engagements, almost 7000 unique individuals placed either into shelter or what we call our low barrier beds, safe havens, and and stabilization beds.
2:12:42
And 39 seven people who have been permanently housed.
2:12:45
Right?
2:12:46
So they now have Elise, an apartment keys.
2:12:50
It's really challenging and really iterative work.
2:12:54
So, you know, with some of these individuals, it's gonna take you know, dozens or even hundreds of points of contact.
2:13:01
Right?
2:13:01
That's why 394000 engagements translates into 7000 placements.
2:13:08
Because these are people who, as I say, have been failed by everybody.
2:13:13
I'd also say that we're seeing real success.
2:13:17
We are absolutely getting some of our most challenging cases indoors.
2:13:21
One of the things that we do is is work very closely on really specific individuals, and we know that they are the specific individuals that this cross agency group is focused on.
2:13:32
We're seeing really strong success rates of getting people indoors.
2:13:37
It's also not entirely a static population, right, as somebody is released from the hospital as there is, you know, whatever the next crisis in their lives is the next person has failed.
2:13:48
Right?
2:13:48
They become our next client.
2:13:50
So We are going to continue working at it.
2:13:52
I see a lot of indications of success, but it's also not going to be something that solved quickly.
Kevin Riley
2:13:57
And the total budget?
Molly Wasow Park
2:14:00
Slightly difficult challenge to difficult question to answer because it does cross so many agencies.
2:14:06
There was about a $170,000,000 year added to the DHS budget, but that builds on what we're doing already and what we're we're already doing within the subways, what we were already invest staying in low barrier beds.
2:14:20
So that is a piece of it, but really and and that's what was added as a result of this initiative, but I wouldn't say that's the total spending because it wouldn't be possible without the baseline budgets of DHS, DLHMH, everybody else.
Joslyn Carter
2:14:36
Traditionally, if I may, could I just add one thing?
2:14:39
I just I it would be remiss of me if I didn't, as a social worker, just really amplified the 397 individuals who actually ended up in permanent housing.
2:14:50
There were 39 4000 contacts, but our goal is to have folks move from being on the street or subways, going to shelter where there's a regular shelter, a little barrier, and actually getting a key.
2:15:04
So almost 400 people were able to do that, and that is the goal that we have, the ultimate goal, that people wake up with a key in going to their own beds and their own units.
2:15:13
So, I mean, that's for us is success for this program too.
Kevin Riley
2:15:17
Thank you.
2:15:17
And, commissioner, I didn't know if you answered how was the governor's plan going to affect this?
Molly Wasow Park
2:15:22
Yes.
2:15:22
Sorry.
2:15:25
That is I at this point, I don't anticipate that it will affect it, but it's something that we're looking at very closely.
2:15:31
We are still out at the end of line.
2:15:33
Subway stations were still do all of the work
Kevin Riley
2:15:36
because she she was on record saying that if if you don't wanna ride the train, don't wanna get your bags checked, you shouldn't ride the train.
2:15:43
So I'm I'm assuming this is gonna affect the outreach that you guys are gonna have?
Molly Wasow Park
2:15:49
I mean, I 1st of all, most of the outreach for what it's worth happens in the stations rather than literally on the trains.
2:15:57
I would I I think this is a place where we're gonna have to wait and see and engage with our colleagues at the state level before I can say anything definitively.
2:16:09
You know, the the plans were identified or developed separately from one another, so we're gonna have to make sure that there are no adverse impacts.
Kevin Riley
2:16:17
Alright.
2:16:17
Thank you.
2:16:18
Thank you, Chuck.