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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Taina Wagnac, Senior Manager of State & Local Policy at New York Immigration Coalition
5:17:23
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159 sec
Taina Wagnac from the New York Immigration Coalition strongly condemns Mayor Adams' 30/60 day shelter stay limits policy for asylum seekers. She argues that the policy is cruel, poorly implemented, and exacerbates the humanitarian crisis in the shelter system.
- The policy has led to families with children receiving eviction notices, contrary to initial assurances
- Notices are often given with little preparation time and disrupt children's education and school enrollment
- Language barriers prevent many asylum seekers from understanding the notices, which are only in English
- Wagnac calls for the passage of Intro 210 to end shelter evictions and supports the Working Families Tax Credit
Taina Wagnac
5:17:23
Yes.
5:17:23
Good good evening, chair of Bayless, and chair Ayala.
5:17:27
My name is Taina Wagnac.
5:17:29
I am the senior manager of sale of policy at the New York Immigration Coalition.
5:17:34
I am here today to once again condemn mayor Adam Shultz of the estate which has forced people to give up their room or bed after 30 or 60 day.
5:17:43
Getting people into permanent housing must be the number one priority and solution to freeing up space in the city's overburdened, shelter system, not limiting how long they can have roof over their head or access to a warm bed for a couple of nights.
5:17:57
Mayor Adam came into office, saw the urgent challenges facing our shelter system, and instead of working with council for real solution, he said I can do worse.
5:18:06
Rather than addressing overcrowding with innovation, humanity, he has made our city his playground, experimenting with policies that have worsened the very crisis he claims to address.
5:18:15
Getting straight to it, the mayor's 30 or 60 days shelter in the state is a bad policy that has contributed to an unconscionable humanitarian crisis in our shelter.
5:18:25
The state limits are not only cruel, but a blatant betrayal of promises made to our vulnerable system.
5:18:30
Not only is there a lack of clarity, oversight, and guidance from administration, but the administration is also reporting false data and information.
5:18:37
At first, community provider was told that the 30 day limit applies to all single adults and the 60 day limit for those aged 18 to 23 and that pregnant persons and families with children will not receive shelter notices.
5:18:50
However, that turned out to be a lie as families with children are also getting in track and have been given notices to leave sometimes with little to with little time to prepare.
5:18:58
Because while the notices to leave are after, 30 or 60 days, the notices themselves are not necessarily given within those time frame, and families often learn that they have a few days to pack up and leave.
5:19:09
Also, the report effect this policy has had on school age children in disrupting their education and school enrollment, where often families are given notices and have changed placement in the middle of them getting enrolled and connected to support services or, their kids, getting into school.
5:19:25
For instance, that's
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5:19:26
part of
Gale A. Brewer
5:19:26
an organization
Taina Wagnac
5:19:28
that have reported they have had clients that were in the middle of them getting enrolled, getting their, vaccination shot, and having to solve the cover that they have been placed to another shelter.
5:19:38
And also to the, issues the notices are being issued in link English in English, and many of our recent arrivals are limited in their language proficiencies and are not aware of and able to follow the full instruction.
5:19:50
We call for the passage of entry 214, to end shelter eviction, and we ask that New York pass the working family, tax And we thank you, council, for the work that you're doing in supporting for immigrant communities.