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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Stephanie Woodbine, Resource Coordinator at New Destiny Housing, on the Executive Budget
4:18:11
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130 sec
Stephanie Woodbine, a domestic violence survivor and Resource Coordinator at New Destiny Housing, testified on the need for increased funding for flexible funding programs and housing resources for domestic violence survivors. She emphasized the importance of flex grants in helping survivors rebuild their lives and criticized the proposed rent increase for low-income families.
- Requested funding for the flexible funding program to be increased to $6 million
- Highlighted issues with the current program's rollout, including staff turnover and long processing times
- Expressed concern about the proposed increase in rent contribution from 30% to 40% of income for low-income families
- Called for an expansion of housing resources for survivors fleeing abuse
Stephanie Woodbine
4:18:11
Good afternoon.
4:18:13
Thank you deputy chair deputy speaker Yala and chair Brannan for the opportunity to comment on the executive budget.
4:18:21
My name is Stephanie Woodbine.
4:18:23
I am a domestic violence survivor and a member of New Destiny Housing's survivor voice project.
4:18:29
I'm also a resource coordinator at New Destiny, serving around 40 domestic violence survivors as their case manager while they rebuild their lives after fleeing abuse and being rehomed.
4:18:41
I'm asking the city to fund the flexible funding program to 6,000,000.
4:18:47
Now more than ever flex grants are important because they save lives.
4:18:50
My clients benefit from these grants to get necessary essential items.
4:18:54
Imagine leaving everything and grabbing your baby in the middle of the night and then imagine if you manage to keep your memories losing them in a storage auction after five days notice.
4:19:05
That is the reality of survivorship and it's these situations that flex grants come in necessary.
4:19:11
The program was funded at a third of what we need.
4:19:13
This impacted its rollout negatively in that there wasn't enough to pay dedicated staff which accounted for high turnovers.
4:19:21
This meant most survivors who needed grants were left in the cold with little to no information of what's to come next with an average of twenty eight days for processing applications at the one agency, Womankind, who rolled out the program in October of twenty twenty four.
4:19:35
We also need an expansion of housing resources for survivors.
4:19:39
They have nowhere to go when they flee abuse.
4:19:41
And the few programs that like ours that help are threatened by federal cuts.
4:19:46
My clients are afraid.
4:19:50
Also regarding this new rule proposed by the Adams administration to increase rent from 30% of income to 40 is reminiscent of systemic oppression.
4:20:01
An increase in income towards rent will destabilize families who are low income and are rebuilding lives.
4:20:08
It's almost a punishment to these New Yorkers, most of which don't have other benefits to balance out an increase in their rents.
4:20:15
Food pantries are not enough and they are overburdened as is.
4:20:19
Something has to give.
4:20:21
Thank you.