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Q&A
Asylum seeker services funding and HERC closures
1:37:09
·
94 sec
Council Member Gale A. Brewer inquires about funding for asylum seeker services and the closure of emergency shelter sites (HERCs). Dr. Mitchell Katz and John Ulberg explain the current situation and future plans.
- The executive plan includes $37.4 million in federal funding for asylum seeker services in FY2026.
- Funding reductions are primarily due to HERC closures and updated census data.
- H+H is transitioning from emergency response to integrating asylum seekers into the regular shelter system.
- The remaining HERCs (Roosevelt Hotel and another location) are scheduled to close in the summer.
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:09
Yes.
1:37:09
Asylum seekers.
1:37:13
So my understanding, the executive plan has 37,400,000.0 in federal funding for the services in f y twenty six.
1:37:21
The state and federal aids for these seekers have significantly decreased since, as you know, 02/05.
1:37:27
Can you confirm that the funding reductions in 02/06 are solely due to Hertz closures and the census update?
UNKNOWN
1:37:35
Yes.
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:36
And what is HNH's role in the landscape as Hertz are shutting down?
1:37:41
How are you you'd still have some.
UNKNOWN
1:37:42
Yes.
1:37:43
So what what's going on?
Mitchell Katz
1:37:44
We're down, I think, to two.
1:37:46
Yes.
1:37:46
And the idea is that
Gale A. Brewer
1:37:48
You're talking about the role in the Roosevelt?
UNKNOWN
1:37:49
Is
Alexander Harris
1:37:49
that when you say Yes.
Mitchell Katz
1:37:50
That this is no longer an emergency.
1:37:53
We're working well with our sister agency, DHS, to figure out how people are part of the regular shelter system as needed.
1:38:03
But there's not going to be going forward a separate Herc.
1:38:07
Which I think again, our role was always this was an emergency.
1:38:12
All these people arrived.
1:38:13
There was no way DHS could have housed them when they were getting, you know, 500 people a day in addition to the regular people that they had to do.
1:38:23
But now that that's no longer the case, we should be going from emergency to a normal system.
Gale A. Brewer
1:38:29
Okay.
1:38:29
And then the role in the Roosevelt are gonna close.
1:38:31
When?
1:38:32
Do you know?
Mitchell Katz
1:38:33
You know the dates?
John Ulberg
1:38:34
Yeah.
1:38:35
I think it's the June.
Mitchell Katz
1:38:38
We might have to get back to you.
1:38:39
I don't wanna set an incorrect date.
1:38:42
But the closing.
Gale A. Brewer
1:38:43
Okay.