Thank you, Chair Ayala, and the esteemed members of the Committee on General Welfare for
the opportunity to submit testimony today. My name is Chris Mann, and I am the Assistant Vice
President of Policy and Advocacy at Win, the largest provider of shelter and services to families
with children experiencing homelessness in New York City. We operate 16 shelters and nearly
500 supportive housing units across the five boroughs. Each night, nearly 7,000 people call Win
“home,” including 3,800 children.
In 2024, New York City saw a record 130,000 people living in the shelter system on any given
night. CityFHEPS, New York City’s rental assistance voucher, has the potential to play a pivotal
role in ending New York City’s homelessness crisis. Unfortunately, a litany of administrative
issues have undermined the program, making it far less effective than it could be. The challenges
families face in using their vouchers stem from several factors, including the extremely
competitive housing market and rampant landlord discrimination toward voucher recipients.
However, administrative barriers — which the City of New York has the power to fix — are
among the top issues Win families face. At almost every step in the CityFHEPS process, these
administrative issues cause families to experience delays, ranging from several days to several
weeks, needlessly prolonging shelter stays as the shelter census continues to balloon.