Pierina Sanchez on historic CityFEPs settlement and voucher expansion
Council Member Sanchez thanks Speaker Menin, the Progressive Caucus, and advocates for the CityFEPs settlement. She details the $300 million commitment across FY27-28, expansion to non-DHS shelters including runaway youth and fire-displaced families, eviction prevention for rent-stabilized tenants, and no work requirements for newly eligible New Yorkers.
Thank you, Majority Leader.
My apologies.
Thank you, Majority Leader.
Before I begin, I want to thank my colleagues, especially Speaker Menon, for your leadership holding the line on this historic win for low-income New Yorkers in our city.
I want to thank the Progressive Caucus for uplifting this priority, to the Council's leadership for holding the line, and all the Council members, to advocates for never giving up on New Yorkers that they represent, and to the Mayor and his team for staying at the table and getting this to the finish line.
I'm going to pull a Tiffany Cabon and stand up.
Today's settlement, see she even shows me how, today's settlement, the fiscal year 27 budget and this legislation represent a historic agreement that will finally expand housing vouchers for New Yorkers facing homelessness.
This is a historic win for vulnerable New Yorkers.
We're expanding access responsibly, controlling costs, and beginning to shift the Titanic, moving the city away from costly shelter reliance and toward permanent homes.
Because the status quo does not work, our city must stop paying more for worse outcomes.
It costs $54 a day to keep a family housed with a city FEPS voucher compared to $270 a day.
For a family shelter bed.
And behind those numbers are children and families.
70% of shelter residents are families with children.
Thousands of babies, 20,000 babies born in shelter just last year.
With $300 million committed across fiscal year 27 and 28, the new program established by Intro 966 will reach New Yorkers excluded from the current CityFEP program,
including households in non-DOH shelters, meaning runaway and homeless youth, families displaced by fires or vacate orders, and justice-involved New Yorkers.
And will support eviction prevention for income-eligible tenants in rent-stabilized homes.
There will be no work requirement for newly eligible New Yorkers.
Homelessness itself is enough of a barrier.
And this is responsible governance.
Funding will be distributed between shelter exits and eviction prevention administered.
Please wrap up.
We're creating this program because the choice is not between compassion and fiscal discipline.
The council can and must do both.
That's what we're doing.
Thank you.
Thank you, Councilmember.
Councilmember Narcisse, followed by Hudson.