Chair Stevens on City FEP vouchers transition to HPD
Stevens asks about HPD assuming responsibility for City FEP vouchers that RHY youth should access, and what conversations DYCD has had with HPD and DSS. Tracy Thorne says DYCD has been named in HPD's CityHAP program but emails are still going back and forth and no meeting has occurred yet.
Housing vouchers.
As part of FY 2027 budget, HPD will now assume responsibility for administering the City FEP vouchers program, which runaway and homeless youth should be eligible to access.
Because that was the only way I was even fighting for that.
The conversation has DYCD has had with HUD, and I mean, that's had with HPD and DSS to ensure RHY will be able to access the new City FEPS once the new voucher program launches in the next six months.
What guidance has DYCD provided RHY providers about the transition of City FEPS programs to HPD?
How is DYCD communicating this information to providers?
So we're excited about the fact that we were named in the City Housing Access Program, CityHAP, by HPD.
They are in the process of creating that program now.
And so we're going to meet with HPD, and then once we have more information, we will share it with the providers.
You guys haven't met with them yet?
It's, it's, the emails are going back and forth right now.
Okay.
I just want to make sure you guys are part of the conversation and not like after because they can come up with something that don't make sense.
Absolutely.
And you guys are the experts.
Yes.
And I need the experts at the table and not afterthought.
And sometimes they think about us as like, oh yeah, we got to figure out how to.
Give them the scraps.
And I need to make sure you guys are part of the conversation.
So I will also start making some calls to make sure that you guys are part of the conversation and leading in that space.