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Q&A
Council Member Ayala questions Commissioner Park about decrease in non-asylum seeker shelter population
1:08:37
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143 sec
Council Member Diana I. Ayala inquires about a recent decrease in the non-asylum seeker population in DHS shelters and the reasons behind it. Commissioner Molly Wasow Park and Administrator Jocelyn Carter respond, discussing exit rates, seasonal patterns, and the differences between family and single adult shelter populations.
- The non-asylum seeker population in DHS shelters decreased by almost 2,000 (nearly 3.5%) in the first two months of 2025.
- Most families with children leave shelters for permanent housing, often with subsidies.
- Single adults have a more fluid pattern of shelter use, often involving periods of couch surfing.
Diana I. Ayala
1:08:37
Okay in the first two months of 2025 the non asylum seeker population in DHS shelters decreased by almost 2,000 to nearly or nearly 3.5%.
1:08:47
What do you attribute that rapid decline over such a short period of time and did these individuals exit to permanent housing?
Molly Wasow Park
1:08:55
So I'm not 100% sure exactly what data that you're looking at.
1:08:58
Would be happy to sit down offline and go through it but I think a couple of things.
1:09:03
One is as I mentioned we have been very, very focused on exits, and the first part of this calendar year we've had terrific exit numbers.
1:09:14
We've really been continuing to focus on helping people move out and we're seeing that in the results of the work that we are doing as a full agency group.
1:09:25
The other thing I would say is that there's some seasonal pattern particularly in families with children intake.
1:09:30
It tends to be low in the winter and pick up in the summer, so that may be a piece of what you're seeing as well.
Diana I. Ayala
1:09:37
But of the folks that are leaving, do you know what percentage are leaving to permanent housing?
Molly Wasow Park
1:09:45
Specifically for the non asylum population you're asking?
1:09:54
Most overwhelmingly people leave particularly on the families with children's side, people are leaving to permanent housing, and most of those are subsidized exits.
1:10:03
On the adult system, it's a slightly more complicated dynamic.
1:10:09
That's a population that does tend to enter and exit with a little bit more frequency.
1:10:15
Administrator Carter, anything you'd like to add?
Jocelyn Carter
1:10:18
Thanks Commissioner.
1:10:20
Families of children typically move to permanency with subsidies like you said, I mean I think the fluidity of a single adult system is because they do a lot more couch surfing and they come back to us when things kind of go a little bit more downhill.
1:10:34
So, they are kind of fluid as they come to us, but families do move to permanency using our subsidies.
Diana I. Ayala
1:10:41
Okay and just to clarify the data is coming from the open data on between January 1 and February 28.
Molly Wasow Park
1:10:50
Okay we will certainly take a look at that and make sure that the I'm confident in the answers that I just gave you, but if there's any nuances that we need to add to that, we'll circle Great.
Diana I. Ayala
1:10:59
Thank you so much, Commissioner.