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PUBLIC TESTIMONY

Testimony by Annie Terrizzi, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Partnership to End Homelessness

4:13:47

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Annie Terrizzi, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Partnership to End Homelessness, testifies on the critical importance of homelessness prevention in New York City. She highlights the current homelessness crisis and argues for prioritizing prevention funding in the city's budget as a cost-effective and humanitarian solution.

NYC faces an unprecedented homelessness crisis with over 4,000 street homeless and 85,000 in shelters
Approximately 800,000 New Yorkers are in rental arrears, representing 90% of the city's homelessness narrative
Terrizzi urges the council to prioritize prevention funding, arguing it's more cost-effective than emergency shelter expansion

Annie Terrizzi

4:13:47

Good afternoon, Cherry Yala and the members of the Committee on General Welfare.

4:13:51

Thank you for the opportunity to provide testimony on the critical importance of homelessness prevention.

4:13:56

My name is Annie Terizzi and I'm the director of strategic partnerships at the Partnership to End Homelessness, a homelessness prevention organization nonprofit.

4:14:04

Today, York City faces a homelessness crisis of unprecedented scale.

4:14:09

More than 4,000 New Yorkers are experiencing street homelessness and nearly 85,000 people are in the municipal shelter system.

4:14:17

Meanwhile, approximately 800,000 people, including one in five city children, are in rental arrears and at risk of experiencing homelessness, representing 90% of the city's homelessness narrative.

4:14:28

Despite this overwhelming need, prevention receives only a small portion of public spending on homelessness.

4:14:34

While the average rent arrears per household is approximately $3,500 the cost to shelter a family is roughly $100,000 Addressing the rental arrears citywide would cost under 1,200,000,000.0, a fraction of what the city has spent on emergency shelter expansion.

4:14:51

If prevention were prioritized, thousands of New Yorkers could have stayed housed and the shelter system would have been better equipped to respond to emergencies.

4:14:58

Additionally, the city budget does not clearly distinguish how much is allocated specifically for rental arrears assistance versus housing vouchers or shelter placements across the bucket of homelessness prevention.

4:15:09

We recommend the council require clear budget definitions.

4:15:13

To effectively address homelessness, we must invest in solutions that prevent it.

4:15:17

We urge the council to prioritize prevention funding in this year's budget.

4:15:21

Prevention is the most cost effective and humanitarian way to address homelessness, keeping more New Yorkers in their homes, strengthening communities, and improving the well-being of the city.

4:15:30

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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