Public Advocate Williams testifies on Intro 387 and shelter safety data
Williams says 83,000 people are in shelter, cites Priority 1 incidents at a women's shelter, and argues Intro 387 would improve reporting on assaults, weapons, arson, and theft.
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Good morning.
As I mentioned, my name is Jermaine Williams, Public Advocate of the City of New York.
More importantly, the Knicks won a game last night.
I'm very excited about that.
I want to thank Chair Hudson and the members of the Committee on General Welfare for holding this hearing.
As of October 2026, a total of 83,000 individuals reside within our city's shelter system, including 51,000 families with children.
Countless others brave the harsh elements outside, deterred by unsafe conditions in these shelters.
My bill, Intro 387, will require the Department of Homeless Services, DHS, to produce an annual report detailing critical incidents occurring in the shelters, including assault, sexual assault, dementia,
domestic violence, child abuse or neglect, weapons possession, arson, and theft.
It is my hope that with more accurate reporting, efforts to upgrade security and shelters and enhance people's safety and well-being will be
more well-informed and overall more effective as the bill will require the details be shared about agreements made between DHS, the New York City Police Department, NYPD, and other entities responsible for safety and security.
Under current reporting, DHS officials have classified Priority 1 incidents as the most serious incidents involving assaults, arrests, medical crisis, overdoses, and deaths.
In one women's shelter, Priority 1 incidents have increased drastically, rising from 123 in 2019 to 208 in 2024.
In fiscal year 2025, the rate of priority ones at this facility were over double the citywide average for single adult shelters.
While the rate and severity of incidents may vary across shelters, trends of violence hold true across the system, especially at larger shelter sites.
Bellevue.
The city's largest shelter for single adult men, which closed earlier this year for redevelopment, was also characterized, unfortunately, by violence.
I also want to uplift the other piece of legislation being heard today for which I'm proud to co-sponsor, Councilmember Brewer's Intro 99, which she just spoke about, would require DHS to report on the placement of families with children and shelters, specifically the rate of families and children who are placed within
the same or in adjoining zip codes as their last address prior to shelter placement.
Displacement from one's home is already a
source of significant stress and emotional upheaval for families, but placement in neighborhoods nearby would avoid disrupting children's school lives and routines, adding an additional layer of uncertainty and rest.
This data will better help us understand what happens when families enter the system and how we can better mitigate disruption in the lives of our youngest New Yorkers.
As the administration seeks to revamp the shelter system following this cold snap of last year, we must ensure that New Yorkers experiencing homelessness not only have access to shelter, but to spaces that are safe and truly livable.
These bills are one step towards ensuring safety and security within shelters.
And I look forward to continuing the work with the agencies in this administration.
Thank you, Madam Chair.