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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Kristin Miller, Executive Director of Homeless Services United
3:13:37
·
135 sec
Kristin Miller, Executive Director of Homeless Services United, testified about the ongoing issues of late payments to nonprofit human service providers. She expressed gratitude for the attention to the issue but emphasized the need for more urgent and comprehensive action to address the massive backlog of payments owed to nonprofits.
- Miller highlighted the stark contrast between the $5.5 billion issued to nonprofits and the remaining $5.8 billion still owed.
- She pointed out that the biggest logjam occurs in the process of getting invoices approved, which is a crucial step before payment can be made.
- Miller stressed the severe impact on nonprofit executives, who are struggling with cash flow and payroll concerns due to these payment delays.
Kristin Miller
3:13:37
Kristen Miller.
3:13:38
I'm Executive of Homeless Services United representing over 50 nonprofits that operate shelters and homeless service programs.
3:13:47
Thank you so much today for this hearing.
3:13:50
We are incredibly grateful for the attention that this issue is getting.
3:13:56
We've been talking about it for a long time and greatly appreciate not only the hearing but the bills that have been introduced.
3:14:03
I echo a lot of what my colleague Michelle has said.
3:14:07
It is wonderful to hear that $5,500,000,000 has been issued to nonprofits.
3:14:14
But what is kind of terrifying is that there are still $5,800,000,000 owed to nonprofits.
3:14:22
We are seeing headway.
3:14:23
I too am very grateful for my colleagues at the administration.
3:14:27
We see improvements.
3:14:30
We see cash starting to trickle.
3:14:33
But I think it's, we're worried it's too little too late.
3:14:38
We need big action, big bold action on multiple, multiple levels in order to just get us paid.
3:14:46
My executive directors are lying awake at night wondering about cash flow, about payroll.
3:14:51
It should not be this way.
3:14:53
We hear a lot about contract registration.
3:14:57
You can't do anything without having your contract registered.
3:15:00
But what is also just as important is the invoicing.
3:15:04
But it's getting to the approved invoice where we see the biggest logjam.
3:15:10
So when you hear reports of this many invoices pending, this many paid, the nuance in between is what's in limbo?
3:15:18
What has been approved by the city, by OMB, by the agency but not yet in someone's line item budget so that they can invoice and get paid.
3:15:31
And I think that is the devil in the details and that is extremely time consuming.
3:15:37
That's where we really, really encourage you to keep the heat on as we are to make sure that this stuff moves.
3:15:45
We also submitted lengthy testimony commenting on a lot more.
3:15:50
Happy to answer questions.
3:15:51
And again, thank you.