Modernizing NYC's safety net

Council Member Levin introduces legislation to improve services for vulnerable New Yorkers

Each year, the City of New York supports individuals and families that are working hard to make ends meet by providing benefits such as access to emergency food, rental assistance, and job-training. The Human Resources Administration alone coordinates 12 major public assistance programs that serve over 3 million people. However, our office regularly hears of miscommunications and mistakes in the administration of benefits and services, due in part to antiquated case management systems. This includes, for example, an inability to track documentation to place chronically homeless individuals in appropriate housing, long lags in school transfers for homeless students, and failure to notify clients of appointments critical to the continuance of benefits.

It is essential to maintain and strengthen our safety net by bringing case management systems into the 21st century. My bill, Introduction 1577, would create an Office of Case Management to ensure that we are using the latest advancements in technology to modernize our systems and connect vulnerable New Yorkers to benefits and services that will help them overcome poverty and income inequality.

First, the office would advise and assist service-providing agencies such as the Department of Social Services and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to update case management systems and ensure appropriate integration among agencies. The Office will also be responsible for ensuring that clients can use digital tools to apply for services, upload documents, and receive service updates by text or email. To ensure ongoing quality improvements, the new Office will also monitor and evaluate existing and updated case management systems. Finally, the Office will develop recommendations to the State of New York to encourage coordinated systems development to achieve shared policy objectives and improve services.

If we are to truly tackle income inequality in our City, we must ensure that our agency partners have the best possible tools to meet the needs of vulnerable New Yorkers.

The System is Failing Our Children

Council Member Stephen Levin is Chair of the General Welfare Committee / Photo Credit: NYC Council

Council Member Levin calls for comprehensive and rigorous ACS review

NEW YORK – A heartbreaking pattern of child deaths has emerged over the last four months. We have mourned the losses of six year-old Zymere Perkins, three year-old Jaden Jordan, five year-old Michael Guzman, and four year-old Zamair Coombs. The constant in each is involvement with ACS that failed to save their lives. The system exists to protect the most vulnerable children in our City and the system is failing them. 

While I appreciate Mayor De Blasio’s consistent attention to reforms, identifying and addressing the system’s failures has to be his highest priority. The Administration for Children’s Services must undergo an independent and comprehensive review of policies, procedure, and staffing at every level of the agency. 

Following the death of Zymere Perkins, the City Council Committee on General Welfare, which I chair, held two hearings to examine City practices and procedures in child protective and preventive services and concrete recommendations emerged. In addition to reforms that ACS has already instituted, I sincerely hope the City will implement new procedures to ensure robust managerial review of casework, require bi-annual training of ACS and contracted provider staff, and invest more deeply in proven preventive services models. I also believe that it is critical to enhance ChildStat casework review with participation by the highest level of ACS citywide and borough staff in order to ensure maximum casework accountability. 

Further, it is unacceptable that the Governor’s budget proposes to cut funding that ACS receives from the State for child welfare and foster care services. These cutbacks are inexcusable.

The tragic deaths of these very young children are intolerable. This is an agency that must continuously evolve and so reforms must be ongoing to ensure ACS can benefit from fresh opportunities and meet new challenges. It is essential that there be rigorous accountability at each and every level in the child welfare system. ACS must ensure that every step is taken to ensure that all children and families involved with their programs have adequate support and resources to build and sustain safe and loving homes.

What so many get wrong about homelessness

“This doesn’t just happen to those people,” said Jennifer Garris. “Anyone can become homeless.”

Ms. Garris has a Masters degree and was a special education teacher for 24 years. But after her husband passed away, she struggled with depression and alcohol use. Soon, she became homeless.

This is a familiar story across the country. No one wakes up and decides “today is the day I become homeless.” People lose stability to the unexpected — medical emergencies, sudden layoffs, or an untreated mental health condition. Yes, access to housing is essential to address our homelessness crisis. But housing alone cannot get everyone back on their feet. Some individuals need support to move forward.

Today, Ms. Garris is no longer homeless. She lives at The Schermerhorn, a supportive housing residence in Downtown Brooklyn. The Schermerhorn provides more than affordable housing. It also offers case management, and substance abuse and mental health counseling. Other programs taught Ms. Garris about money management, community building, and self empowerment. “They teach you how to live again,” she said.

Stephen Levin is a New York City Council Member and Chair of the General Welfare Committee. Photo Credit: NYC Council

As a New York City Council Member, and Chair of the General Welfare Committee, I am a fierce advocate of supportive housing. At its core, supportive housing is affordable housing combined with on-site resources. These supportive services help individuals overcome the challenges that left them chronically homeless. Experts agree that supportive housing is an effective way to address homelessness. This is especially true for those with mental health and substance use issues.

More than just a place to live, supportive housing is about community. In Fort Greene, Brooklyn Community Housing and Services provides community space for residents.

“Neighbors organize baby showers, quinceañeras, neighborhood meetings, and even weddings and funerals.” Jeff Nemetsky, Executive Director, Brooklyn Community Housing and Services.

Supportive housing is the way forward. However, the need far exceeds the supply. In New York City, for every person placed into supportive housing there are four more people waiting. The statistics are sobering. There are over 60,000 homeless individuals in the Department of Homeless Services shelter system. Thousands more are in specialized shelters for youth, survivors of domestic violence, and those with HIV/AIDS. These figures do not include individuals living on the streets. If we are to make progress reducing homelessness, we must be aggressive.

That’s why I co-chaired a joint hearing on supportive housing on January 19th with Council Member Jumaane Williams of the Housing and Buildings Committee. Participants included a wide range of stakeholders including the City agencies connected to supportive housing — HRA, HPD, and DOHMH, supportive housing tenants, advocacy organizations, community board chairs and supportive housing providers. Ten Council Members also took part in the half-day hearing.

Today I'm proud to co-chair a hearing in my district at The Schermerhorn, a residence that exemplifies #supportivehousing community benefits pic.twitter.com/qleirhEkBO

— Stephen Levin (@StephenLevin33) January 19, 2017

“We truly appreciate the Councilmembers’ decision to hold the hearing in a supportive housing residence — because quite frankly, seeing is believing,” said Laura Mascuch, Executive Director of the Supportive Housing Network of New York. “Our hope is that Council Members came away with a clear idea of the enormously successful model of housing-plus-services and its transformative impact both on the lives of the formerly homeless people who live there as well as the neighborhoods in which it’s built.”

Housing experts came together to share plans on expanding supportive housing. Through the NYC 15/15 Initiative, New York City has committed to build 15,000 units of supportive housing in 15 years. Additionally, the City will put in place 23 recommendations from Mayor de Blasio’s Supportive Housing Task Force.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has committed to building 15,000 units of supportive housing over the next 15 years. Photo: Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office

Much of the supportive housing in New York City has been developed through joint collaborations between the City and State. These are known as the NY/NY agreements. New York City has committed to invest in new units. The State has yet to fully deliver on a year-old promise to invest $2 billion in supportive housing. The failure to establish a new NY/NY agreement is a casualty of the politics between New York City and the State. In the meantime, tens of thousands of individuals and families are waiting for shelter.

Enough waiting. We know what works. The evidence shows that supportive housing is one of the best tools we have to address the crisis of homelessness. Let’s provide for our most vulnerable neighbors and set them on a path to long-term stability.

Council Member Stephen Levin's Opening Remarks - Child Abuse and the Various City Touchpoints

Good Morning. I am Council Member Stephen Levin, Chair of the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare. Today we are joined by representatives from ACS, DHS, NYPD, DOE, OCDV, the Children’s Cabinet, union representatives, advocates, providers, and parents to hold the hearing: “Child Abuse and the Various City Touchpoints.” I want to thank our Speaker for joining us for this important hearing.

As Speaker Mark-Viverito outlined, Zymere’s life was tragically cut too short, and today we are here to discuss how City agencies are working together to provide families with assistance, and how to prevent future tragedies. 

As we do a deep dive today into City agency policies and reforms, interagency coordination, and recommendations for moving forward, we must not lose sight of the fact that a family lost their child. 

Today is Halloween, and millions of children across the city will be trick-or-treating with their families, but Zymere will not. As Zymere’s story eventually fades from the headlines and we move on to other issues, his family must continue to endure a tragic loss. Zymere is remembered by those who knew him as an articulate, playful, and loving child who “had a smile that would captivate anyone’s heart.” 

The other thing we cannot lose sight of during this discussion and through the implementation of new policy reforms, is that the majority of families involved with the child welfare system are caught up due to allegations of neglect. While some children are abused by their parents or guardians – and those children may need to be removed from their families and placed in appropriate and safe foster care placements – most families are involved with ACS because they face issues generally tied to poverty. For example, we know that being unable to secure adequate housing for your family can lead to a multitude of other challenges and approximately 25% of the families living in DHS family shelters have an open case with ACS. 

Today, we will discuss how City agencies are working together, or failing to work together, to address child abuse and neglect. Families involved in the child welfare system are frequently engaged with several agencies – such as the Department of Education, the Police Department, the Department of Homeless Services, and the Human Resources Administration.

When preparing for this hearing, advocates and providers who work with families consistently told us about the difficulties their clients face when trying to navigate a myriad of systems with complicated rules and requirements. Families may receive conflicting mandates, and must travel to seemingly endless appointments to keep their families together. While some are able to connect with skilled legal services organization that can help navigate these processes, not everyone has access to that help. One major question we want to address today is how the City plans to help reduce those burdens so that more families can succeed.

I look forward to hearing from ACS and the other agencies here today about implementing the recommendations announced earlier this month, and from providers, advocates, and parents about their thoughts and experiences in relation to those recommendations. After today’s hearing, we aim to maintain an open dialogue to ensure that the policy changes are not simply a response to one tragedy, but address systemic challenges in an ongoing manner.