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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Chris Mann, AVP of Policy and Advocacy at WIN
3:59:41
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127 sec
Chris Mann from WIN, the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families with children in NYC, testifies about the destabilizing effects of chronic delays in city payments on their operations and the families they serve. He strongly supports the proposed legislation (Intros 1247, 1248, and 1249) to address these issues.
- WIN is currently owed $4.5 million in back payments from the city
- Contract registration takes at least six months on average
- Payment delays have caused loss of key contractors and delays in critical repairs
- The proposed reforms are seen as necessary and meaningful steps towards fixing the broken procurement system
Chris Mann
3:59:41
Good afternoon Chairs Juan and Stevens.
3:59:45
Thank you for the opportunity testify.
3:59:48
My name's Chris Mann.
3:59:49
I'm the AVP of Policy and Advocacy at Wynn, the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families with children in New York City.
3:59:57
Every night, nearly 7,000 people, including 3,800 children, call Wynn home across our 16 shelters and nearly 500 units of permanent supportive housing.
4:00:08
But we, like many providers, are being destabilized by chronic delays in city payments.
4:00:14
Wynn's currently owed $4,500,000 in back payments from the city.
4:00:18
Sad to say that that's one of the lower numbers at this table.
4:00:23
On average, it takes at least six months for our contracts to get registered.
4:00:29
We're forced to open sites and house clients months before any payments are issued.
4:00:34
We've lost key contractors, including those repairing essential infrastructure such as plumbing, elevators, because we were waiting on funds from the city to pay them.
4:00:45
When the city doesn't pay us, it's not just a budget issue.
4:00:49
It delays critical repairs, hampers services, and significantly erodes the quality of life for families that call Wynn home.
4:00:57
That's why we strongly support intros twelve forty seven, twelve forty eight, and twelve forty nine, You know, providing 80% of contract value up front after registration would go a long way to resolving some of these issues.
4:01:13
Twelve forty eight, which creates a centralized department of contract services to simplify and standardize contracting processes across agencies.
4:01:23
Twelve forty nine requires agencies to submit annual reports and corrective actions.
4:01:28
Again, all of these would go a long way towards helping resolve some of these issues.
4:01:36
New York's nonprofit sector is holding up holding up the safety net, but the procurement system is breaking us.
4:01:43
These reforms are necessary, overdue, and meaningful steps towards fixing this broken system.
4:01:48
Thank you.