Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.

Q&A

Council Member Adams questions OMB Director on homeless shelter costs and housing strategies

0:40:19

·

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.
Citymeetings.nyc pigeon logo

Is citymeetings.nyc useful to you?

I'm thrilled!

Please help me out by answering just one question.

What do you do?

Thank you!

Want to stay up to date? Sign up for the newsletter.