Morano asks Mata and Smalls about housing retention
Morano asks how many of the 209 placed veterans are still housed; Donnie Smalls says all 209 are still housed and none returned to shelter, and Morano requests retention rates at 6, 12, and 24 months.
With that, before we get to Councilmember Wan, I see Commissioner Mata is getting very antsy because no one has asked her a question in a while, so I'm not going to do that to you.
Your testimony says that 209 veterans were placed into permanent housing in fiscal year 2026, and that 702 veterans answered an aftercare call, and those are encouraging numbers.
But how many of the 209 veterans are still housed today, and do we know how many have returned to homelessness?
Thank you for that question.
I will pass it on to our Associate Commissioner, Donnie Smalls, who handles the aftercare component.
Good morning, Chair.
Morning.
Co-Chair.
Donnie Smalls, Associate Commissioner for the New York City Department of Veteran Services, also a combat veteran.
Currently, all 209 veterans are still housed.
None have returned back to shelter.
So the housing retention rate.
At six months, 12 months, 24 months.
Do we know what that is?
I can get those numbers back to you.
I'd appreciate it.
I think the committee would value that as well.