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Q&A
Council member Avilés questions MOIA on legal services budget and contract allocations
2:38:49
·
9 min
Council Member Alexa Avilés engages in a detailed discussion with representatives from the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) about the budget allocations for legal services, particularly focusing on the Action NYC program and new legal support centers. The conversation clarifies the breakdown of funding between baseline and additional allocations, as well as the distribution of funds to various providers.
- MOIA's legal services budget includes $7.9 million in baseline funding and an additional $12.2 million in one-time funding for FY26.
- New contracts for 25 MOIA legal support centers will receive about $6.3 million, while 13 existing contracts will be extended for a year, totaling about $12 million.
- MOIA plans to have 38 legal support centers across New York City starting July 1, focusing on neighborhoods with immigrant communities.
Alexa Avilés
2:38:49
Okay.
2:38:50
Alright.
2:38:51
So let's let's start with by talking about the legal support centers.
2:38:59
So in fiscal twenty six executive budget for Moya's legal support center includes 12,200,000.0 for Action NYC aka legal support centers.
2:39:10
Five million for Asylum Seeker Legal Assistance Network, ASLAN and 2,800,000.0 for the Asylum Seeker Resource Navigation Center.
2:39:19
Can you clarify what portion of the 12,200,000.0 for Action NYC is new funding versus baseline funding from the previous fiscal years?
Jasniya Sanchez
2:39:34
So the baseline funding for legal services is around $7,900,000 and the difference is the additional funding that we're receiving in FY26.
Alexa Avilés
2:39:51
So the remaining 6 mil and some is additional one time funding?
Jasniya Sanchez
2:40:04
Well that's for action for legal services at Moya.
2:40:11
That's 7.9, so that's the number that that includes.
2:40:22
In terms of the $12,000,000 that you're asking about in terms of legal services, we also got an additional, I think you're referring to the additional funding that's reflected
Alexa Avilés
2:40:37
4.3, yeah.
2:40:39
I have to do the math now.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:40:40
Yes.
2:40:41
It's the four Yeah, that we got added in the exec plan.
Alexa Avilés
2:40:45
That's one time funding?
2:40:48
Yes.
2:40:49
And that's coming from where?
2:40:51
OMB.
2:40:54
Is that coming from the Owasso money?
Jasniya Sanchez
2:40:57
I would defer it to our colleagues I don't wanna be but was added to our
Alexa Avilés
2:41:03
You don't know where the money came from.
2:41:04
You're just happy to have it.
Manuel Castro
2:41:06
My end yeah.
2:41:07
Exactly.
2:41:07
But my understanding is that it's it's not coming from the state funding that OASO received for this work.
Alexa Avilés
2:41:14
Okay.
2:41:15
So of the 12,200,000.0, how much is being distributed directly to providers?
Jasniya Sanchez
2:41:24
So in FY '26, we have the legal support centers.
2:41:34
Hold on, give me one sec, I can turn to my chart.
James Saunders
2:41:43
So,
Jasniya Sanchez
2:41:47
in total for legal services, I think this will make a bit more sense for, to talk about this.
2:41:56
For FY '20, here we go.
2:42:02
FY '26, the new 25 Moya legal support centers will get $6,300,000 about.
2:42:15
That's what we have been budgeted for.
2:42:22
On top of that, as the commissioner mentioned, we will be extending contracts for some of the current legal providers under the formerly known as Action NYC contracts.
2:42:40
And that will be about $11,900,000 So I think there's a bit of sort of to flesh out your numbers, the $12,000,000 that you're talking about is what's added in the exec plan, right?
2:42:56
So some of that funding is a one time funding that we have gotten that includes the 4,400,000.0 that we received from the administration.
2:43:10
Formerly known as ASLEN, which is the $5,000,000 in the funding for the program formerly known as the navigation center.
2:43:27
I think that's what you were referring to chair.
2:43:29
I'm sorry for the confusion.
Alexa Avilés
2:43:30
No that's okay.
2:43:32
Have a couple different numbers floating around my head.
2:43:34
So in terms of terms of the legal support center, so essentially, despite all the changes in the contracts, well, it's the same amount of money for the contract more or less from last year, just a lot more organizations.
2:43:54
Right?
2:43:55
I mean It's more actually.
2:43:58
So, you you said 6,300,000.0 is going in fiscal twenty six.
2:44:02
I have here fiscal twenty five was 6,400,000.0.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:44:06
Correct.
2:44:07
It's gonna be more, right.
2:44:09
So in FY '26, Moya is consolidating programs, right, under the Moya immigration centers, right, and all available, you know, received funding in FY twenty six will be added to that effort, so through the baseline funding that we have,
Alexa Avilés
2:44:33
Right?
2:44:34
Can we stop you for just a quick second?
2:44:36
I'm sorry.
2:44:38
I just wanna make sure I'm understanding because I I feel like I keep hearing different things.
2:44:43
So of the of the 12,200,000.0, 6 point 3 million has been awarded for fiscal twenty six.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:44:54
So I think Let me go back.
Alexa Avilés
2:44:56
Okay.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:44:56
A little.
2:44:57
I think we were talking about So the 12 the 12,000,000 that you're talking about, that's the funding that has been added, right, in FY twenty six in the executive plan.
2:45:10
That is not baseline funding.
2:45:12
That's additional funding that we have received as part of the executive plan.
2:45:20
So that's a one time added funding that we've received.
Alexa Avilés
2:45:27
So you're saying the 12,200,000.0 is in addition to the 7.9?
Jasniya Sanchez
2:45:32
Correct.
2:45:33
Apologies for the confusion.
Alexa Avilés
2:45:41
Okay.
2:45:42
So still even then back to how much is gonna be distributed to providers.
2:45:50
So you noted 6,300,000.0 for fiscal twenty six, which is less than fiscal twenty five.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:45:58
So that's for the current contracts.
2:46:01
For the, I mean, I'm sorry, for the new contracts starting July 1, that sort of the new centers that will be established.
2:46:10
On top of that, we are extending 13 of the current legal services contracts, formerly known as Action NYC.
Althea V. Stevens
2:46:22
Okay.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:46:23
For one additional fiscal year, then that will be about $12,000,000 for 13
Alexa Avilés
2:46:36
contracts.
2:46:37
So you're gonna extend 13 contracts for an additional year and then you're gonna award an additional 6,300,000.0.
Jasniya Sanchez
2:46:47
For the new contracts that that And
Alexa Avilés
2:46:49
the new contracts will start when?
2:46:51
July 1.
2:46:58
And can you provide the council with the list of providers and their funding allocations for this fiscal twenty six allocation that you've already made?
Jasniya Sanchez
2:47:08
Sure, we can share that.
Alexa Avilés
2:47:09
Great, thank you.
Manuel Castro
2:47:10
And, Sherif I may add, we're working towards as of today having starting July 1 or in July, '30 '8 Moya legal support centers across New York City in neighborhoods where immigrant communities live.
Alexa Avilés
2:47:37
Thank you, commissioner.
2:47:38
Just just for the record, we wanna make sure the 12,200,000.0 that we were talking about includes the 5,000,000 from the Asylum Seeker Legal Assistance Network and the 2,800,000.0 from the Asylum Seeker Navigation Center.
Althea V. Stevens
2:47:54
Correct.
2:47:54
Okay.
Sophie Dalsimer
2:47:56
Thank you.
2:47:56
No problem.
Alexa Avilés
2:47:58
Right.