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Q&A
Council Member Adams questions OMB Director on homeless shelter costs and housing strategies
0:40:19
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3 min
Council Member Adrienne E. Adams engages in a Q&A session with Jacques Jiha, Director of NYC Mayor's Office of Management and Budget, regarding the city's approach to homelessness. The discussion focuses on the cost-effectiveness of the shelter system, strategies to reduce shelter costs, and programs to move homeless individuals into permanent housing.
- The city has budgeted over $2.6 billion for housing the non-asylum seeker homeless population in the current year.
- Jiha emphasizes the need for both short-term shelter solutions and long-term housing strategies.
- CityFHEPS vouchers are highlighted as an effective tool, with a budget of about $1.3 billion projected for fiscal year 2025.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:40:19
In the current year, the city has budgeted over $2,600,000,000 for the cost of housing the non asylum seeker homeless population.
0:40:27
This year's budget has increased by over $760,000,000 since adoption alone.
0:40:33
The city plans to spend more to shelter the homeless this year than the entire fiscal twenty twenty six budgets of all but five city agencies.
0:40:43
Year after year we spend more and more to house the homeless.
0:40:48
Is paying the costs of the homeless shelter system the most cost effective strategy to combat and respond to homelessness?
Jacques Jiha
0:40:59
It is put it this way, we have to tackle these things.
0:41:04
It's like not one at the expense of the other.
0:41:08
Okay?
0:41:10
We need shelter to deal with the short term stay, short term challenges that we're dealing with.
0:41:14
Somebody wants, you know, overnight stay.
0:41:17
So you're gonna need to have a shelter program for that group of people.
0:41:20
But at the same time, we also need long term housing.
0:41:23
Okay?
0:41:24
To deal with the long term problem which is the shortage of housing that we have in the city.
0:41:29
So we have to tackle it on both angle.
0:41:31
Know, but we have to look at it from these two perspective.
0:41:36
We need both shelter and housing.
0:41:38
It's not one at the expense of the other.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:41:41
What other approaches is the city taking to reduce shelter costs and move people from homelessness to permanent housing?
Jacques Jiha
0:41:48
We've one of the most effective tool we have has been the CDFEVS voucher.
0:41:54
As you can see, the program has grown exponentially in the last five years.
0:41:59
It's a program that started with about $300,000,000.
0:42:02
It's now about $1,200,000,000.
0:42:05
So it's because, you know, we basically are issuing a lot of vouchers to folks to get them out of the shelter system.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:42:14
Which this council has advocated for time and time again.
Jacques Jiha
0:42:19
Yes, we understand.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:42:21
You for those global stars.
0:42:24
How much is included in the budget for programs that would move the homeless into permanent housing?
Jacques Jiha
0:42:30
We, again, I said, have resources added to the budget for CDFePs.
0:42:38
This is one of the most effective tools that we have.
0:42:43
And we'll continue to assess different policies.
Adrienne E. Adams
0:42:47
Do you have a figure?
Jacques Jiha
0:42:48
I'm sorry?
Adrienne E. Adams
0:42:49
Do you have a figure?
Jacques Jiha
0:42:50
How much?
0:42:51
How much we currently have.
0:42:52
CDFeb's right now, I believe for fiscal year twenty five, we're projecting we're gonna spend about $1,300,000,000 for CDFeb's.
0:43:03
And we added $325,000,000 in the preliminary budget and for 2026 we'll begin to address some of the needs as we move throughout the fiscal year.
0:43:22
Okay.