To: Ms. Joslyn Carter
New York City Department of Homeless Services
We read the NY Times story about the Bronx Parent Housing Network shelter and the allegations of harassment by the former director in February 2021. The National Coalition for the Homeless is concerned that the repeated allegations were made over a long period of time and no one seems to have acted on them until the New York Times front page story. We know that the City is under court supervision to provide shelter to everyone who seeks assistance, which has led to an explosion in shelters and the funding of shelters. The National Coalition for the Homeless is concerned that the system has become so huge that it needs a complete overhaul and is beyond mere agency personnel changes or updating standards to have any impact on protecting the end user.
It seems as though there are broader community wide policy changes that need to occur in order to stop the tide into the system and make the time that a person is without housing as short as possible. We recommend looking at a complete overhaul of the homeless social service system to prevent discharges from subsidized housing through eviction as well as medical facilities including drug treatment and mental health facilities into the shelters. We support increasing the local housing subsidy to those struggling with homelessness so that they have more options in the market and could receive a subsidy that beats or at least matches the federal Housing Choice Voucher program. Shouldn’t the goal of the homeless shelter system in New York be to decrease the time spent in the homeless social services to the shortest time possible? We believe that the goal could be written into every contract to get those seeking assistance out of the shelter/housing assistance programs as soon as humanly possible? Maybe an incentive package for the homeless assistance industry for moving families into stable housing in under 30 days?
We understand from local advocates that you have set up an impressive system for input by current members of the homeless community to provide input to the Continuum of Care funding, but we also understand that these are only a fraction of the homeless assistance funds in New York City. We ask that you consider expanding the oversight by homeless people to include all homeless social service funding and constructing a peer network in which those using the facilities could receive help from graduates of the programs. This could be a model for programs from around the country and it would stem criticism of this giant bureaucracy unresponsive to the needs of its constituents. We are not asking for the hiring of a consultant who will spend the next year with focus groups to prevent sexual harassment in the shelters, and in the end will produce $1 million poster that says “Sexual Harassment is Wrong—If you see something say something.” We all know that sexual harassment is not acceptable especially in a shelter serving domestic violence victims, and we all understand that women who have few choices are especially vulnerable. From our perspective, we see a need for reform within government that failed to set up protections, and once there were allegations, failed to respond quickly?
We understand that the Department of Homeless Services is reviewing the situation with the Bronx Parent Housing Network and will work with a caretaker CEO to make changes. NCH is asking that this incident prompt a larger look at shelters and housing for those experiencing homelessness to transform them back to short emergency services and not long term housing solutions. We hope that you will look at the entire system to make dramatic changes so that anyone entering the shelter system is protected from predatory behavior and has access to a process to report abuse that will result in immediate actions. We have some recommendations:
- Build into the contacts an incentive system to move people into housing within 30 days of presenting.
- Limit intake restrictions so that the process is simple and speedy without barriers to access or a long questionnaire that includes a detailed history.
- Work with local advocates to implement a city wide ban on government funded institutions discharging anyone into a shelter.
- Increase all local housing subsidies so that the family/individual can afford housing at the market rate and not be stuck in housing that pays the landlord less than market rates.
- Reduce hostile discharges from the shelter system. The discharge policies for homeless social services should be focused on restorative justice model and not a punitive system that results in a high number of evictions. Force a high bar with much bureaucracy and greater transparency with the goal of moving people into a better situation instead of so many lateral moves or discharges onto the streets.
- Work with groups like Picture the Homeless or Urban Justice Center to collect and report feedback from those using the homeless social service that would result in meaningful oversight. We are not asking for token input of 1 or 2 homeless individuals but real empowerment of leadership groups to provide real involvement by those who have experienced homelessness. This entity needs to be staffed by those who have experienced homelessness and supported by public funding. This so called “homeless ombudsman’s office” should be visible within the social service system to accept complaints and have the authority to act on those complaints.
- A comprehensive review of all agencies policies and procedures to assure that there are tough standards against harassment of clients or staff. There are good models available and every social service provider should have strong policies with clear consequences for those who violate these standards. No need to contract with a consultant. We are asking for common sense protections to be put in place for every group receiving public money.
- A new project to hire currently homeless individuals as so called “mystery shoppers” to report directly back to the Department of Homeless Services on the facilities and care that residents or clients are receiving.
- Once a problem is discovered there is due process for the agency, but the investigation and adjudication must be swift and consequential. We believe these new policies should be published and that complaint process be transparent with the specific names withheld but all other information be released to the public.
- Again work with grassroots leadership development groups such as Picture the Homeless or the Urban Justice Center to provide current and formerly homeless individuals a meaningful role in deciding on local priorities for funding. These community leaders with lived experience should be consulted on how resources are divided within the community. They should have a bigger role than the other communities of interest such as other homeless service providers, government or housing providers. It is our experience that when consulting people who have utilized the shelter system, the reliance on congregate living facilities is greatly reduced. No one wants to have to sleep on a cot in a gymnasium without privacy because it only adds to the trauma of homelessness and strips a person of their dignity.
- Finally, the National Coalition for the Homeless was founded by a group of homeless and formerly homeless people in New York and Washington DC, and for our 40 year history we have always attempted to demonstrate the power and wealth of experience of those who have survived homelessness. To that end, we have always recommended the importance of peer networks to ending homelessness. We believe that for a large metropolitan area there should be a safe place for people currently experiencing homelessness can go to learn from those who lived through the trauma of homelessness. We believe that there is no greater use of public resources than a mentoring network of trained individuals with lived experience who can help people who have recently lost their housing navigate the complicated system and can help to avoid the pitfalls or dead ends that often slow a person’s ability to find stability.
We would be happy to set up a meeting to discuss any of the issues we have raised. We are not trying to criticize your work, but we only offer an outside perspective. We all want to see a better environment for the people we both serve. We all want to reduce the trauma associated with homelessness and to fund projects that we would be willing to see a relative effectively utilize. Thank you for all your hard work in protecting fragile populations in our society.
Sincerely,
Donald Whitehead
cc: Mayor Bill DeBlasio
