🍎 citymeetings.nyc #27
Brush Fires, CityFHEPS, NYC's Municipal Workforce, Jail Contracts, Opioid Settlement Funds, Older Adult Centers, Youth Trafficking
Howdy,
There were 13 hearings last week, including 6 in one day.
Every meeting was published same-day, often within a couple of hours.
Want to help out? Spread the word! When this March rolls around, there will be no better resource to follow the council's budget hearings than citymeetings.nyc.
Two broadly-interesting highlights from early last week:
- Crystal Hudson inquired about about the impact of the federal funding freeze at a hearing on Tuesday. Link
- Jumaane Williams added that he is "still public advocate" at Thursday's DOE hearing. Link
I'm experimenting with adding a short overview before presenting each hearing's highlights this week.
I received feedback that it's jarring to go straight from the title to bullet-point-highlights. I hope the context makes the newsletter easier and more fun to read.
Cheers,
Vikram
This week's highlights are from hearings on:
- Preventing brush fires in NYC parks
- How the CityFHEPS voucher program is going
- Contracting practices in NYC jails
- How NYC's settlement funds from opioid manufacturers are being used
- Conditions at NYCHA's older adult centers
- Youth trafficking in NYC
For a complete listing of published meetings, visit https://citymeetings.nyc.
Hearing on preventing brush fires in NYC parks
Kat Lafferty, community gardener and environmentalist, gives testimony.
The council examined the rise in brush fires across the city during our recent drought. Discussion centered around the need for a wildfire mitigation plan, more specialized firefighting gear, and more funding for park maintenance.
- NYC saw over 500 brush fires in October-November 2024, a sharp rise from 120 the previous year. Link
- Shekar Krishnan introduced legislation requiring the Parks Department to draft a wildfire mitigation plan, citing climate change as a growing threat. Link
- FDNY formed a dedicated brush fire task force, emphasizing new training, lighter wildland gear, and drone technology for quicker containment. Link
- Parks Department reports 41 acres burned across 10 major fires in 4 boroughs. Link
- A brush fire in Inwood Park required over 100 firefighters to contain. Link
- Marine units draft water from rivers to tackle fires in remote areas like Inwood Hill Park, where limited hydrant access delayed containment. Link
- A two-alarm blaze in Prospect Park’s ravine burned 2 acres of restored forest, underscoring how quickly wildfires can destroy decades of ecological work. Link
- Council Member Williams pushes Intro 800 to codify criteria for tree maintenance, citing numerous unresolved complaints about dangerous trees. Link
- The Parks Department handles 100K tree service requests annually. Link
- Natural Areas Conservancy shares that 51 forest management positions were cut last year, leaving just 60 staff to oversee 14K acres of natural areas. Link
- New Yorkers for Parks requests $5MM to rehire critical staff and $20.5MM for park enforcement. Link
- Marine Park experiences up to 20 acres of brush fires annually due to invasive phragmites, highlighting the need for habitat restoration. Link
- The Uniformed Fire Officers Association contends current 80lb turnout gear is unsuitable for wildland fires, advocating for specialized equipment. Link
Hearing on CityFHEPS housing vouchers
Steve Behar, attorney and former council staff, gives testimony.
This was an oversight hearing to evaluate how well the city's main rental assistance program, CityFHEPS (City Fighting Homelessness and Eviction Prevention Supplement) is working.
The program helped over 18,500 households find housing last year -- a record high according to officials. Tenant advocates and voucher holders describe long delays, administrative hurdles, and poor housing conditions.
- CityFHEPS is the largest municipally funded rental subsidy in the nation. Link
- NYC's overall vacancy rate is 1.4%, the lowest since 1968, with an even lower rate of 0.39% for units under $1,100. Link
- DSS connected more than 18.5K households to subsidized permanent housing in FY2024, a 24% increase from the previous year. Link
- Current CityFHEPS caseload includes 25,643 families with children, 3,966 adult families, and 22,296 single adults. Link
- The city has spent $578MM on CityFHEPS through December of the current fiscal year, with a total FY25 budget of $1.1B. Link
- More than 46K children currently reside in shelters. Link
- The Real Estate Board of NY (REBNY) reports CityFHEPS application processing takes an average of 10 months, proposing a new 15-day limit for approvals. Link
- Attorney Steve Behar describes a two-year struggle to help his friend secure housing through CityFHEPS, facing persistent discrimination and administrative barriers despite his legal expertise. Link
- A disabled CityFHEPS applicant faced extended stay in a nursing home, having to pay $600/day, due to delays in housing application processing. Link
- Diana Ramos testifies about being left without a working toilet for 4 days and dealing with mice in her CityFHEPS-supported apartment. Link
- Elizabeth Mackey reveals moving into an apartment without a proper walk-through inspection, later discovering issues with heat and broken windows. Link
Hearing on NYC's municipal workforce recruitment and retention
Oren Barzilay from EMS Local 2507 gives testimony.
NYC's overall agency vacancy rate has improved to 5.7% from 8.4% since 2021.
But, departments report significant staffing challenges: EMS workers making $39K are leaving for better pay, 911 dispatchers are working 16-hour shifts, and the Probation Department has lost a quarter of its staff since 2018.
- The NYC municipal workforce maintains a 90% retention rate (comparable to other public sector employers) with an average 10-year tenure (3x private sector tenures). Link
- Civil service examinations are required for over 80% of city government positions Link
- Job applications through the Jobs NYC website increased by 87% in fiscal year 2024, reaching approximately 1.3 million applications. Link
- The Department of Probation's staffing has declined from 832 employees in 2018 to 645 currently, with 103 resignations in 2023 alone. Link
- EMS Local 2507 reports starting salaries remain at $39,000 for EMTs and paramedics, with nearly 30% of members expected to leave for better-paying positions within a year. Link
- 911 dispatchers are receiving a $10,000 annual bonus, split into $5,000 payments every six months, to address retention issues. Link
- The current round of collective bargaining includes 16.21% wage increases over five years (2021-2026), marking the largest increase in over a decade. Link
- The expanded remote work pilot program has been implemented at approximately 40 agencies, with initial participation exceeding 20,000 employees. Link
- Public Advocate Jumaane Williams shares that some workers with disabilities earn less than $3.50 per hour, with extreme cases as low as 22 cents hourly. Link
- DCAS takes approximately 139 business days to process and release exam results, with a target timeline of 290 days for full exam administration. Link
Hearing on contracting practices in NYC jails
The Department of Correction (DOC)'s general counsel gives testimony.
The council looked into no-bid commissary and phone service contracts at Rikers, questioned vendor pricing, and discussed a proposal to ensure detainees receive any leftover funds when they’re released.
- Sandy Nurse opens the hearing by highlighting unclaimed commissary funds and discussing Intro 825, which ensures leftover balances are given to detainees upon release. Link
- DOC reports around 137,598 unclaimed commissary accounts since 2007, most with balances under $100. Link
- Up to $200 in cash is provided at discharge, with amounts above that issued as checks or claimed later through a notarized request. Link
- Julie Won raises questions about the emergency contract awarded to Keefe Group without competitive bidding. Link
- Julie Won notes the monthly cost of the Keefe contract rose from $583,000 to $2,750,000, with DOC attributing it to post-COVID adjustments due to higher inmate populations. Link
- Officials plan a new RFP for commissary services, while the current extension runs through June 2026. Link
- Council members question why detainees must file formal grievances to receive refunds for expired or incorrect commissary items. Link
- Securus, the phone and tablet provider, inadvertently records some privileged attorney-client calls due to misclassifications within DOC’s system. Link
- A new system-wide “do not record” list was instituted to ensure privileged numbers remain excluded across all facilities. Link
- Osborne Association testifies that $17 million in programming cuts limit services like visiting support, elder care, and transitional planning for detainees. Link
Hearing on opioid settlement funds
Rev. Dr. Terry Troia, President of Project Hospitality, gives testimony.
The council examined how NYC agencies are using $154MM in settlement funds from opioid manufacturers.
Health officials detailed expanded treatment and outreach efforts, while representatives from the Bronx and Staten Island highlighted persistent disparities in their communities, which see some of the city's highest overdose rates.
- New York City has received $154MM in opioid settlement funds to date, with total funding expected to reach $500MM by 2040. Link
- The city's homeless population has nearly doubled to 89K in the past two years, contributing to higher overdose death rates. Link
- NYC recorded 3,046 opioid overdose deaths in 2023, marking the first decline since 2018, though a New Yorker still dies from overdose every 4 hours. Link
- Street Health Outreach and Wellness (SHOW) vans provided nearly 13K service encounters in 2024, offering testing, vaccinations, and harm reduction supplies. Link
- The RISE Center, supported by $3.6MM in settlement funds, provides specialized care for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorders. Link
- A new Addiction Response Team, supported by $3MM in settlement funds, will provide expanded addiction coverage at Harlem, Jacobi, and Queens hospitals. Link
- The forensic toxicology laboratory reduced its turnaround time for toxicology results from 77 to 40 days, and autopsy report time from 118 to 84 days through settlement funding. Link
- The Bronx continues to see increasing opioid fatalities with rates nearly twice that of other boroughs. Link
- Phoenix House reported receiving zero settlement dollars despite their long history of addiction treatment services. Link
- Rev. Dr. Terry Troia shared the story of Daniel, a 29-year-old who died in a park after mobile healthcare services that had previously connected him to care were discontinued in Staten Island. Link
Hearing on older adult centers (OACs) in NYCHA facilities
Renee Keitt, Resident Association President at Elliott-Chelsea Houses, gives testimony.
The council's aging and public housing committees heard testimony about conditions at 106 older adult centers in public housing.
While NYCHA has allocated $26MM for improvements, residents and providers described persistent issues with basic infrastructure like HVAC, kitchens, and plumbing.
- NYCHA manages 106 older adult centers (OACs) across the city, serving roughly 12K seniors and accounting for nearly a third of older adults served by NYC Aging. Link
- Chris Banks highlights widespread mold, pest, and heating issues at several OACs, saying seniors are “neglected” by slow repairs. Link
- HVAC overhauls can require four to five years under NYCHA’s capital process, leaving vulnerable older adults without stable cooling or heating. Link
- A roof leak in Flushing went unresolved for months while NYCHA and NYC Aging debated whose responsibility it was, sparking calls for a formal MOU. Link
- Maria Lawton OAC reportedly struggled with a broken HVAC for two consecutive summers, prompting concerns about health risks during extreme temperatures. Link
- Providers like Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and Samaritan Daytop Village describe major water shutdowns, flooding, and steep repair costs. Link 1 Link 2
- Gale Brewer critiques plant-based processed meals at senior centers, pushing for more from-scratch cooking and fresh produce. Link
- Mental health offerings grew from 20 to 88 geriatric programs, yet stigma and isolation remain big hurdles for older adults. Link
- New intergenerational initiatives like “My New York Story” pair youth and seniors in NYCHA developments, aiming to strengthen community bonds. Link
- NYCHA’s Elliott-Chelsea Houses face possible demolition, raising alarms from tenant leaders about the mental health risks for displaced seniors. Link
Hearing on youth trafficking and sexual exploitation
Mari Moss, a community advocate, gives testimony.
The council examined NYC's anti-trafficking efforts at a hearing where NYPD, ACS, and DYCD detailed their work with trafficking victims. Agency representatives reported rescuing 86 victims in 2024, while survivors and advocates testified about gaps in services.
The hearing also covered Intro 831, which would require NYPD to report annually on missing persons cases.
- New York State has one of the highest sex and labor trafficking rates in the U.S. with ACS attributing it to its extensive transportation infrastructure. Link
- In 2023, ACS and DYCD identified 760 sexually exploited or at-risk youth in NYC, an increase from 703 in 2022. Link
- NYPD's Human Trafficking Task Force conducted over 300 operations in 2024, resulting in 191 arrests and the rescue of 86 trafficking victims, including 27 minors. Link
- DYCD currently offers 753 beds for youth aged 16-20 and 60 beds for young adults 21-24, with plans to add 100 more beds. Link
- Council Member Farah Louis introduces Intro 831, requiring NYPD to annually report detailed information on missing persons cases, including data on trafficking victims. Link
- NYPD's sex trafficking hotline operates 24 hours a day with at least three detectives per shift, receiving calls from hospitals, ACS, and mandated reporters. Link
- Tanesha Grant, a trafficking survivor, shares her experience of being trafficked after aging out of foster care at 17, emphasizing the systemic failures in child welfare. Link
- ENDGBV launched a public awareness campaign in January 2024 using Link NYC kiosks and is developing map-based resources to help survivors locate nearby services. Link
- Council Member Stevens raises alarm about recent reports of sexual violence affecting 100 youth in juvenile detention centers, linking it to increased vulnerability to trafficking. Link
- Safe Horizon's Streetwork Project provides immediate support to homeless youth at risk of trafficking, meeting them where they are to offer assistance and stability. Link
- Volunteers of America Greater New York announces a new federally funded transitional housing program for trafficking survivors, including a full-time trafficking specialist. Link
Thanks for reading!
Comments, questions, or feedback? Reply to this email or shoot me a note at vikram@citymeetings.nyc