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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Sherry Chen, Health Policy Coordinator at Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, on FY 2026 Budget Priorities
4:45:40
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123 sec
Sherry Chen, representing the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families (CACF), urged the New York City Council to increase funding for various health initiatives in the FY 2026 budget, focusing on the needs of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. She emphasized the importance of expanding mental health services, addressing domestic violence, and providing safe housing for unsheltered New Yorkers.
- Requested an increase in funding for Access Health NYC to $4.5 million to support outreach to hard-to-reach AAPI New Yorkers
- Called for allocation of $55.1 million out of $61 million for the Fund for Crisis to Care for expansion of mental health services
- Urged funding of $6.3 million for the Mayor's Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence to better protect AAPI women
Sherry Chen
4:45:40
Thank you chair Schulman, chair Brennan, and committee members for hosting this hearing.
4:45:44
My name is Sherry Chen.
4:45:46
I'm the health policy coordinator at the Coalition for Asian American Children and Families, or CACF.
4:45:50
We're the nation's only pan Asian organization advocating for Asian American Pacific Islander children and families, and our coalition consists of over 90 community based organizations across the state.
4:46:01
We also lead the Access Health NYC initiative, as my colleague, Moral, has mentioned.
4:46:05
On behalf of CACF, I urge the council to include, again, increasing funding for Access Health to 4,500,000.0 in the fiscal year twenty twenty six budget in order to better support community based organizations outreaching to harder to reach AAPI New Yorkers to ensure that they can access the care that they need and to fund all of the crucial public health pieces from the People's Budget, which includes allocating 55,100,000.0 out of the 61,000,000 for the Fund for Crisis to Care for expansion mental health services.
4:46:33
Our growing AAPI community faces significant levels of poverty, overcrowding, uninsurance, and linguistic isolation that exacerbate our health issues.
4:46:41
An investment into the expansion of such services will help ensure an equitable healthcare system for the AAPI community rooted in culturally responsive practices and linguistic accessibility.
4:46:52
While we're grateful that the intensive mobile units have been included in the budget, we implore that the city also fund the mayor's office to end domestic and gender based violence at 6,300,000.
4:47:03
This is an important step to better protect AAPI women as intimate partner violence was responsible for fifty eight percent of the two thirty six API female homicide cases with a known cause.
4:47:15
Secondly, we continue to explore expanding safe havens, opening 4,000 beds over five years to provide medically appropriate housing for unsheltered New Yorkers in a safe and supportive environment that's cost effective and reduces strain on our emergency services and supporting a 166 bed mental health and substance use housing pilot.
4:47:34
These crucial public health investments are essential for building a healthier, safer, and more compassionate New York City.
4:47:40
Because of this I urge you to fully fund these priorities.
4:47:42
Thank you for your time.