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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Jody Rudin, President and CEO of Institute for Community Living, on Late Payments to Human Service Providers
3:29:23
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122 sec
Jody Rudin, President and CEO of the Institute for Community Living (ICL), testified in support of the legislative package addressing late payments to human service providers. She emphasized the critical need for timely payments and accountability, highlighting the severe financial strain caused by delayed city payments.
- ICL is currently owed $30 million for services already delivered, down from $60 million three months ago.
- Late payments have forced ICL to take out loans and risk missing payroll, effectively acting as a bank for New York City.
- While acknowledging recent progress, Rudin stressed that $30 million in receivables is still unsustainable for nonprofit operations.
Jody Rudin
3:29:23
Good afternoon Chair Juan and Chair Stevens.
3:29:27
Thank you for the opportunity to testify and thank you for your leadership and attention on this matter.
3:29:34
I'm Jody Rudin, I'm the president and CEO of an organization called the Institute for Community Living or ICL.
3:29:42
We're a nonprofit that supports 13,000 New Yorkers each year across 140 programs providing housing, healthcare, and recovery services.
3:29:52
I want to express ICL's support for the legislative package under consideration today.
3:29:59
We need cash, we need accountability, And we're grateful for your leadership.
3:30:04
The city currently owes ICL thirty million dollars for services we've already delivered including housing, treatment, job support, and more.
3:30:14
Like many non profits in this city, we spend an inordinate amount of time managing cash flow because the city is late paying us.
3:30:22
It's not just an administrative burden.
3:30:24
It is an existential threat.
3:30:26
At times we've been in peril of missing payroll.
3:30:29
We've had to take out loans to cover basic operating costs effectively acting as a bank for the City Of New York.
3:30:37
I do wanna say that while system has been broken for too long, I want to acknowledge that ICL has seen good progress and good faith efforts from our partners and agencies in recent months.
3:30:51
We were at 60,000,000 outstanding three months ago.
3:30:55
Now we're at 30,000,000.
3:30:56
I wanna give credit where it's due.
3:30:58
I also feel a little bit vulnerable disclosing this because I'm worried if there's a sense of progress, the city will move on and perhaps focus on nonprofits in more dire shape and we can't continue to have 30,000,000 in receivables.
3:31:15
Nonprofits like ICL are as you know the backbone of the city's safety net and it's time for our contracting system that supports us too.
3:31:23
Thanks again for the opportunity and your leadership.