Press Room

NEW YORK: Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams, a longtime advocate for the expansion of the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) and other youth services, continued his efforts today at an oversight hearing of the City Council Committee on Youth Services. In a statement, he argued that particularly in recovery from the pandemic, it is vital to ensure that every young person in New York City has access to programming that both enriches their education and prepares them for future employment opportunities.

"In the past few years, New York City’s young people have endured a significant amount of trauma, confusion, and uncertainty. They have experienced isolation, learning loss, and increased housing instability and gun violence," said Public Advocate Williams. "The effects of the pandemic have been particularly hard on those who live in low-income neighborhoods, youth of color, and young people with disabilities. Robust academic and recreational as well as professional development programming have been linked to reductions in violence and crime and positive youth development. That is why city programs like Summer Rising and the Summer Youth Employment Program are absolutely vital, especially considering all that our young people have been through."

The Public Advocate addressed some of the challenges these programs have faced, even with their recent, welcome expansions. He pointed to the demand for Summer Rising seats far outweighing the supply, and pointed out that this rush for access creates disparity, as it "disadvantages those parents who had to work and parents with limited or no access to the internet, such as those living in temporary housing." He also stressed the need for clear communication between the administration, providers, and families.

He commended the recent expansion of the SYEP, and discussed the need to increase not only the number of slots, but duration of programs, noting that "Many organizations would be happy for SYEP participants to join any year-round programs they participate in, but need to know how many year-round slots they will have funding for. As SYEP expands, the city should invest in more year-round programming for young people."

Finally, the Public Advocate pointed to a barrier in the current SYEP model- the requirement to have a Social Security Number in order to experience its benefits. He pushed for the advancement of his legislation, Intro 188, which would require the creation of a universal youth employment program that is open to all young people in New York City, greatly advancing employment equity.

Read the Public Advocate's full statement as prepared below.

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS

TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON YOUTH SERVICES

OCTOBER 25, 2022

Good afternoon,

My name is Jumaane D. Williams, and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I would like to thank Chair Stevens and the members of the Committee on Youth Services for holding this important hearing.

In the past few years, New York City’s young people have endured a significant amount of trauma, confusion, and uncertainty. They have experienced isolation, learning loss, and increased housing instability and gun violence. The effects of the pandemic have been particularly hard on those who live in low-income neighborhoods, youth of color, and young people with disabilities. Robust academic and recreational as well as professional development programming have been linked to reductions in violence and crime and positive youth development. That is why city programs like Summer Rising and the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) are absolutely vital, especially considering all that our young people have been through. 

I first want to express appreciation to Mayor Adams for recognizing the importance of these programs, and for his commitment to expanding access to Summer Rising and SYEP. This past summer, over 100,000 young people participated in SYEP, and 110,000 children attended Summer Rising. This is a great achievement, and I hope to see even more slots offered in the years to come.

The rollout of these programs, however, did not come without challenges. While I am happy that so many families sought to participate in Summer Rising, the demand far outweighed the supply, and 82,000 of available seats for the program were filled within a week of the application opening. We can infer that parents who were able to secure a seat were those who had access to the internet and were able to be online when the application opened, which disadvantages those parents who had to work and parents with limited or no access to the internet, such as those living in temporary housing. The DOE did reserve some seats for students experiencing homelessness, students with disabilities who are guaranteed 12 months of support, and those who fail courses and are mandated to take remedial summer classes, but we do not know how many of these seats were set aside.

Even for those for whom seats were set aside, full participation in Summer Rising was not guaranteed. Although programming ran until 6:00 pm, busing service for students with disabilities and students living in temporary housing was not available after 3:00 pm. Students who require busing services should and must be able to participate in the full day just like their peers. 

There is also a clear need for improving communication between the administration, Summer Rising provider sites, and families. Many families were left scrambling for seats at their assigned sites; on the first day of Summer Rising, 30 families in Brooklyn were turned away despite their children being assigned to that site. Some parents and caregivers who were reaching out to sites to see if any spots had opened up received no response. For some children who required busing services, the bus arrived without a paraprofessional on board, preventing the child from boarding the bus, or the site did not have sufficient time to ensure that paraprofessionals would be in the classroom.

The Summer Youth Employment Program was able to match 60 percent of applicants across 17,000 work sites, the largest number the program has ever had—but it had its share of challenges, too. As a result of the pandemic, many organizations across the city are struggling to hire and retain staff, which can present a problem when adding an SYEP participant. The city should allow organizations more time to plan how they will best be able to support an SYEP participant.

The seasonal nature of SYEP means that organizations are losing staff at the conclusion of the program. Many organizations would be happy for SYEP participants to join any year-round programs they participate in, but need to know how many year-round slots they will have funding for. As SYEP expands, the city should invest in more year-round programming for young people. 

Lastly, it is important to note that participation in SYEP requires a Social Security number, effectively excluding undocumented youth from the program. That is why I have introduced Intro 0188-2022, which would require the creation of a universal youth employment program that is open to all young people in New York City. I would like to thank my colleagues in the City Council and the advocates who have been working with my office to move toward employment equity for youth.

I look forward to working with the administration and the City Council to ensure that Summer Rising and SYEP successfully reaches as many youth and young people as possible, as well as ensures a productive and positive work experience for both the young person and the employer, in 2023 and in the years to come.

Thank you.

"Like many in our city, I do not mark today by celebrating the name or legacy of Christopher Columbus. In changing the holiday's name, we do not alter the history of this country and continent – only how we choose to elevate and honor it. In this and all cases, it is critical to look at the stories we tell of our history in their full truth – and do our best to stand now with the oppressed, rather than the oppressor. Changing a holiday’s name will not undo the harm inflicted on Indigenous communities, but it begins a reckoning with it. It stands at least as a statement of our intention to learn from, rather than repeat, past mistakes.

"Italian heritage is not seen in a singular historical figure, but in the culture carried and celebrated by millions today. In celebrating Italian heritage, we must also tangibly support Italian American communities that have helped shape our city. Likewise, in honoring Indigenous People's Day, we must not only undo the harm of centuries but end the ongoing systemic oppression Indigenous communities face as we confront the parts of our own history that initiated it. 

"In truth, each of these commemorations should be marked with their own occasion rather than combined, but today’s observances represent at least some progress. These holidays are an opportunity for reflection, engagement, dialogue, and action as we continue the work to promote the values we should champion while recognizing and rejecting the injustices of the past and present."

"With this overdue action, thousands of Americans who saw their lives and livelihoods destroyed by a cannabis conviction are granted new, budding opportunity.

"This is a vital, welcome first step from the Biden administration, but it is a first step. We should move quickly to legalize cannabis nationwide, and prioritize reinvesting in the Black and Brown communities most devastated by its prohibition and unequal enforcement. Pardons are a critical solution in this moment, but as we have seen, full legalization is the only way to combat the massive disparities in enforcement that have burdened generations with criminal records and ensnared them in an unjust system.

"I’m proud of the work we’ve done to decriminalize, de-stigmatize, and ultimately legalize marijuana in New York, and further urge our state to be spurred by this new federal action to more quickly implement a just economy for legal marijuana sales."

"This ruling comes as little surprise in a country so deeply invested in carnage capitalism that common sense gun safety laws are seen by some as a greater threat than bullets. After a conservative Supreme Court rejected New York’s basic standards of safety this summer, New York passed legislation specifically tailored to meet the Court’s ruling – but even a modest effort at saving lives is too much for the conservative movement in a country with a demonic obsession with guns.

"In light of this ruling, it is harder today to drive past Times Square than to bring a gun into it. Blocking this law clears the way for more guns to flow through the iron pipeline and onto our streets. Just over a week ago, twenty-three people were shot in our city over a three day period. Until and unless this decision is overturned, New Yorkers are less safe, and our government is failing to protect them."

"While Orchard Beach was a particularly poor location for a tent shelter given its history of flooding and other factors, a tent shelter anywhere in this city cannot be used to circumvent the right-to-shelter mandate. We’re grateful the administration terminated the Orchard Beach location after cautions and pressure from advocates and local leaders, including our office. At the same time, we can’t see another tent city pop up without basic humanitarian conditions being met, and I hope the administration is more quickly receptive to our concerns moving forward.

"Asylum seekers seeking support, solidarity, and a better life deserve much more than a tent in a transit desert as winter approaches – at the very least, the city should tap into the same resources we used during the height of the pandemic to further open space at hotels or large indoor areas, as well as expedite CityFHEPS vouchers to quickly move unhoused New Yorkers out of shelters and into permanent housing, opening shelter space for asylum seekers.

"New York City has an opportunity to set asylum seekers up for long-term success in our city, state, and country – we must take steps to make that future a reality instead of abandoning the newest New Yorkers in inadequate housing."

As asylum seekers continue to arrive in New York City at a rapid rate, Public Advocate Jumaane D. Williams is elevating the experiences and urgent needs of newly arriving New Yorkers, and the responsibilities of city, state, and federal government to meet those needs. In a statement prepared for a Friday City Council hearing of the Committee on Immigration, he stressed the importance of protecting the right to shelter in an overburdened and underresourced system.

"Recently, I made a visit to a shelter in Hollis, Queens, where regrettably an asylum seeker took her own life. We found out that the shelter was not meant nor prepared to house asylum seekers and was severely understaffed, with 1 worker per 100 residents, with a maximum capacity of 500 residents..." reported Public Advocate Williams. He later argued that "Shelters would not be so under strain if the backlog and wait times for housing vouchers were expedited. Some individuals that currently reside in shelters have been living there for years. Affordable and supportive housing is one pathway to simultaneously transition them from homelessness to a permanent housing situation and open capacity at shelters."

He pointed to his recent report with the Committee to End Homelessness, which recommends expanding CityFHEPS eligibility to allow people who work and earn up to 50 percent of the city’s Area Median Income to qualify and waiving the work requirement for those not employed but on public assistance to qualify. He further pushed for passage of his Homeless Bill of Rights as a means of defining and protecting key standards for asylum seekers.

He also emphasized the importance of providing families with quality educational services, saying "According to recent Department of Homeless Services figures, of the 11,800 asylum seekers in the DHS system, approximately 8,000 are families with children. Enrolling these children in school is imperative in facilitating the transition post-migration as well as providing a safer space and environment where the children have access to hot meals...The Department of Education must ensure that their processes for placing asylum seeker children is as transparent as possible and takes into consideration the transient status of the children and their families in regards to housing and the immigration system."

Read the Public Advocate's full statement below.

STATEMENT BY PUBLIC ADVOCATE JUMAANE D. WILLIAMS

TO THE NEW YORK CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022

My name is Jumaane D. Williams and I am the Public Advocate for the City of New York. I would like to thank Chair Hanif and members of the Committee on Immigration for holding this hearing. 

As the child of Grenadian immigrants, the impacts of immigration have affected not only my life but the millions of immigrant families that call New York City home. Many families are here today because immigration policies enabled them to seek new opportunities for themselves and their loved ones. That being said, it is deeply disturbing to see what has been happening nationally, with anti-immigrant governors using asylum seekers as political pawns. These elected officials have bussed asylum seekers to locations they had no intention of ending up in, such as New York City, just to make a statement.

Regardless, New York City will always welcome asylum seekers and all immigrants with open arms. The City has welcomed over 10,000 asylum seekers in the past few months, but the reality for our city is that it is struggling to keep up with the growing number of asylum seekers that arrive almost every day. Our city is a right-to-shelter jurisdiction as mandated by the Callahan ruling. As a result, our city is uniquely positioned to be a welcoming beacon to everyone. For many of these asylum seekers, landing in this country was an act of necessity; no one travels through thousands of miles of dangerous terrain—and with children in hand in some cases—unless the circumstances at home were dire. Their journeys often last over a month; many had to go through jungles such as the dangerous Darien Gap and sleep on the ground. Ultimately, they all ended up in New York City. Our city must make changes in order to mitigate the struggles it is currently facing to properly meet the needs of these asylum seekers.

I acknowledge and commend all the hard work the administration is doing to support asylum seekers. That being said, there are still questions to be asked and clarification needed from various city agencies on how they are coordinating efforts. I wanted a better sense of what was happening on the ground, so I visited three different sites that asylum seekers would encounter upon their arrival: Port Authority Bus Terminal, Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) Intake Center, and a shelter. 

At Port Authority, I spoke with some families, including those with infants, to hear more about their experiences up until this point, and my team helped to provide and distribute backpacks to families with children. At PATH Intake Center, I was provided a walkthrough of the center and the process, from initial processing to shelter placement. I also spoke with two families who had different arrival journeys, but both went through weeks of travel across numerous countries. Recently, I made a visit to a shelter in Hollis, Queens, where regrettably an asylum seeker took her own life. We found out that the shelter was not meant nor prepared to house asylum seekers and was severely understaffed, with 1 worker per 100 residents, with a maximum capacity of 500 residents. I am deeply concerned that we may see similar stories in the weeks to come if greater transparency, accountability, and culturally responsive resources (especially linguistic and mental health resources) are not provided throughout our shelter system.

Furthermore, this additional strain on the shelter system has put an even brighter spotlight on the need to codify the rights of unhoused individuals, both in and out of shelters. Int. 0190-2022, which was heard by the City Council earlier this September, would further codify and publicize the rights of unhoused individuals to access legal, language, education, and shelter services. New York City is already a right-to-shelter city, and it only makes sense to pass Int. 0190 into law to accompany our city’s status as a right-to-shelter jurisdiction.

Shelters would not be so under strain if the backlog and wait times for housing vouchers were expedited. Some individuals that currently reside in shelters have been living there for years. Affordable and supportive housing is one pathway to simultaneously transition them from homelessness to a permanent housing situation and open capacity at shelters. My office recently released a report, the Committee to End Homelessness by the Year 2026. It goes into detail about the goals and strategies to end the homelessness crisis. One of the report’s recommendations is to expand CityFHEPS eligibility to allow people who work and earn up to 50 percent of the city’s Area Median Income to qualify and to waive the work requirement for those not employed but on public assistance to qualify. 

Additionally, one of my greatest concerns lies with asylum seekers who are children. According to recent Department of Homeless Services figures, of the 11,800 asylum seekers in the DHS system, approximately 8,000 are families with children. Enrolling these children in school is imperative in facilitating the transition post-migration as well as providing a safer space and environment where the children have access to hot meals. My main concerns have to do with bilingual education programs, overall language accessibility, and access for the parents who themselves have to navigate the educational system on behalf of their children. The Department of Education must ensure that their processes for placing asylum seeker children is as transparent as possible and takes into consideration the transient status of the children and their families in regards to housing and the immigration system.

Lastly, in order for the City to continue to improve upon itself to meet the needs of our growing asylum seeker population, we need financial support from the federal government. Many of these programs that are arising to meet this heightened need cannot be executed nor succeed if there is not enough funding. Furthermore, we must direct funding straight to mutual aid groups, community-based/faith-based organizations, and clergy who have been working on the ground and directly with asylum seekers. Many of these groups and volunteers are doing this work without any compensation and deserve to be acknowledged and compensated for their efforts. At the end of the day, advocates, the administration, and everyday New Yorkers are all working to the same goal, and that is welcoming our newest New Yorkers regardless of where they come from. We must collectively work together to coordinate a sustainable, culturally and linguistically sensitive, and compassionate response to treat all asylum seekers with dignity and respect, and I believe this can be done.

Thank you.