On Tuesday, June 11, Policy and Advocacy Associate Juan Diaz submitted testimony for the general oversight hearing of the New York City Council on Families with Children in DHS Shelters. On behalf of CCC, this testimony shows support for ongoing efforts to improve DHS shelter services, including several bills that increase capacity for positions to help with intake, and recommends stronger funding efforts for staff retention and programs that help families exit shelter more quickly and securely.

Read the testimony below.

Testimony of Juan Diaz
Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York
Submitted to the New York City Council on Families with Children in DHS Shelters Oversight Hearing General Welfare
June 11th, 2024

Since 1944, Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York has served as an independent, multi- issue child advocacy organization. CCC does not accept or receive public resources, provide direct services, or represent a sector or workforce; our priority is improving outcomes for children and families through civic engagement, research, and advocacy. We document the facts, engage, and mobilize New Yorkers, and advocate for solutions to ensure that every New York child is healthy, housed, educated, and safe.

Thank you, Chair Ayala and all the members of the Committee on General Welfare, for holding today’s oversight hearing on the wellbeing of families with children in DHS Shelters.

CCC is a steering committee member of the Family Homeless Coalition (FHC), a coalition comprised of formerly homeless mothers and 20 organizations representing service and housing providers and children’s advocacy organizations united to end family homelessness.

New York City is facing a shelter capacity crisis that disproportionally impacts families of color. The trauma that children in shelter experience can have severe negative impacts on their overall wellbeing The recently published CCC’s Keeping Track of New York City’s Children: 2024 data book underscores the urgent need to increase funding and advance legislation to improve the overall wellbeing of children living in shelter and to expedite their shelter exits. Keeping Track findings revealed that as of January 2024, more than 30,000 children reside in a DHS shelter. In FY23, 95% of family households in shelter were either Black (37%) or Hispanic (58%). Families with children continue to face unacceptably long lengths of stay in shelter, with an average of 438 days spent in shelter in FY23. At the same time, we can see the positive impact when families receive the support they need: 16 percent of families who exited shelter without a housing subsidy returned to shelter within one year, compared to only 0.3 percent of families with a subsidy.

CCC applauds the City Council’s efforts to improve services within DHS shelters and urges city leaders to prioritize funding appropriation when bills are passed. These investments will have a permanent and long-term effect on the health of New York’s children, families, and communities.

To improve services at DHS shelters, implement new programs, and retain staff, we urge the City Council to support the restoration of the Mayor’s 2.5% PEG to DHS contracted shelter providers for FY25 and the outyears. As you know, shelter providers reduced vacancies and collapsed multiple positions into one to meet the Mayor’s November budget cut. We will continue to see service delays, longer shelter wait-times, and more families experiencing homelessness if the city does not act to fully staff these critical positions.

CCC also applauds the City Council for uplifting legislation to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and families experiencing homelessness. We strongly support Intro 0123, which will codify the DHS practice of not requiring children to be present at PATH intake. This inhumane practice has created multiple barriers for parents seeking service and can prove traumatic for children.

CCC also supports the following three bills. However, as part of the Budget negotiations, we urge the City Council and City Administration to ensure adequate funding is appropriated to implement these bills. DHS and DHS shelter providers must have the resources needed to meet new requirements.

• CCC supports Int 124, which would provide process navigator services at DHS intake centers for families with children applying for shelter and provide essential guidance to supportive services at PATH.
• CCC supports Int 440, which would require the department of homeless services to designate eligibility specialists. This position would help improve the access to resources available for families in shelter and improve their socio-economic well-being.
• CCC supports Int 0453, which would require the establishment of new shelters and intake centers in all five boroughs, therefore reducing the time that families with children must travel to have access to shelter services.

We also urge the City Council and the Administration to make the following investments in this year’s budget to improve outcomes for homeless families:

• Fund and implement CityFHEPS eligibility expansion, which would remove shelter stay and housing court history requirements, preventing entrance into and expediting exits from shelter.
• Invest $45 million for the Vacant Unit Readiness program, to make available the 5,040 vacant NYCHA apartments available for families and individuals facing housing insecurity.
• Invest $4.4 million to increase the New York City Commission on Human Rights budget to $18 million in Fiscal 2025, to support voucher-holding households that experience income discrimination.

Furthermore, CCC supports the actions taken by the City Administration to fund and baseline resources for shelter-based community coordinators in FY25 and outyears and we are thankful for the City Council’s long time support of this initiative.

Lastly, we support the City Council’s advocacy and join with them in urge the City Administration to end the inhumane time-limits shelter stay policy that severely impact immigrant children overall wellbeing. Due to the 60-day shelter rule, community-based organizations have reported that immigrant children are forced to missed school days and struggle with their education attainment.

Thank you for your time and consideration.