Chris Mann testifies on family shelter placements and Intro 99

Good afternoon.

Thank you, Chair Hudson and the rest of the committee for the opportunity to testify.

I also want to say thank you to the commissioner for staying.

I feel like that's unusual, which is nice.

I'm Chris Mann.

I'm the vice president of public policy and strategy at Wynn, the largest provider of shelter and supportive housing for families with children in New York City.

Each night, nearly 7,000 people call Wynn home, including 3,800 children.

Homelessness is traumatic and causes long-term educational damage for students.

Last year, approximately 40% of families were placed in a different borough than their youngest child's school, forcing children to endure long commutes just to get to class.

The city has to set a higher standard to ensure students experiencing homelessness have the same access to educational continuity as their house peers.

That's why Intro 99, which when proudly crafted in partnership with Councilmember Gail Brewer, is so vital.

For the first time, it will track true community displacement, measuring placements by zip code,

giving us the precise data needed to understand the gap between where families lived before entering shelter and where they live when they're in the shelter system.

The human toll is also painfully evident at path intake.

Families face a grueling verification process that takes 53 days on average, five times longer than it should, leaving parents and children feeling deterred and

sometimes forced back into unsafe and abusive living conditions.

While not being heard today, we urge the Council to prioritize fixing the broken intake system at PATH and pass Intro 816, sponsored by Council Member Barrios, and Intro 232, sponsored by you, Chair Hudson, in addition to passing Intro 99.

Intro 816 allows self-attestation of housing history to end endless denial loops, and Intro 232 shortens the housing history requirement from two years to one.

I urge the Council to pass these three bills to protect families and end this compounding trauma.

Thank you.