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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Wynn Periasami, Director of External Affairs at Goddard Riverside
4:17:37
·
103 sec
Wynn Periasami, representing Goddard Riverside, testified about the persistent issues of late payments and contract delays affecting nonprofit human service providers in New York City. He highlighted the severe financial strain these delays are causing, with Goddard Riverside experiencing $15 million in delayed payments across their contracts.
- Goddard Riverside serves 20,000 New Yorkers and is facing significant challenges, particularly with DYCD contracts experiencing the worst delays.
- The organization supports the proposed legislation and suggests learning from federal procurement practices, such as upfront lines of credit and simplified auditing processes.
- Periasami emphasized the need for ongoing partnership and creativity to ensure both providers and government can focus on delivering services to New Yorkers.
Wynn Periasami
4:17:37
Thank you chairs one, Stevens, speaker Adams, chair Brannan, member and central staff, and the council for your attention to this hearing and to this work over so much time.
4:17:46
My name is Wynn Periasami.
4:17:47
I'm the director of external affairs speaking on behalf of president Rod Jones of Goddard Riverside who unfortunately had to step away.
4:17:53
We're a multi service social services agency in settlement house serving 20,000 New Yorkers from youth through older adulthood.
4:18:02
We as a sector have been here many many times before.
4:18:05
You know this.
4:18:06
We know this.
4:18:07
And we share many like our agency shares many of the problems and experiences of our colleagues across this sector, across services, across communities, with our DYCD contracts experiencing some of the worst delays.
4:18:21
As a result, Goddard is one of the organizations, Akhay just mentioned, that is experiencing an overall $15,000,000 in delayed payments across the board.
4:18:29
This is past work rendered but unpaid work we can't start because of past payments we still await.
4:18:34
And staff capacity and care towards reconciling payments of often far past that could be put towards work present and future.
4:18:42
We've seen improvements and we appreciate the attention and care from government partners like you all that has helped us get We echo our partners in the sector now and ongoing when we ask you to keep your eyes and your fire on this work.
4:18:56
Goddard supports the legislation on the agenda today and thinks there's additional lessons that could be learned from places like federal procurement, which can have upfront lines of credit and simplified auditing processes and we'd be happy to discuss in future conversations.
4:19:09
These are painful cycles and we need ongoing partnership and creativity to ensure both providers and government can focus most on the point of these contracts, services for New Yorkers.
4:19:19
Thank you so much for the time and the work.