Monday, April 13, 2026, 10 a.m. (New York City time), 250 Broadway - 8th Floor - Hearing Room 2
Committee: Committee on General Welfare
The Committee on General Welfare, chaired by Crystal Hudson, held its annual oversight hearing on hunger and food insecurity in New York City and heard four pieces of legislation: a bill by Council Member Joseph requiring annual reporting on warming centers, a preconsidered bill by Council Member Zhuang creating a SNAP anti-fraud officer and fraud awareness campaign at the Department of Social Services, a resolution calling on New York State to establish a SNAP and cash assistance fraud victims compensation fund, and a resolution by Council Member Schulman calling on Congress to pass the Hot Foods Act of 2025. HRA Administrator Scott French and other DSS/DHS officials testified on SNAP administration, new federal ABAWD work rules, EBT skimming (noting that federal authority to replace stolen SNAP benefits expired and the Administration does not believe the anti-fraud officer bill is feasible at this time), the Community Food Connection program, shelter food quality, and a new voucher/credit-based emergency food pilot. Council members pressed the Administration on implementation of federal SNAP changes, food quality in shelters, AI tools for error reduction, and warming center data. Thirty-two members of the public and organization representatives testified, largely urging a $100 million baseline for the Community Food Connection program, state action on benefit replacement, and support for the legislation under consideration.
0:11 Thank you good morning ladies
0:11 and gentlemen welcome to the
0:13 New York City Council hearing
0:15 for the committee on general
0:17 welfare at this time I'd like
0:19 to remind everyone to please
0:21 silence all devices and at no
0:23 point during the hearing you
0:23 approach the dais if you want
0:25 to testify at today's hearing
0:27 please see you sergeant at the
0:28 back to fill out a testimony
0:31 slip chair we are ready to
0:33 begin.
0:34 Thank you so much and good
0:37 morning everyone and welcome
0:38 to today's hearing I'm Crystal
0:39 Hudson general welfare
0:41 committee chair and my
0:42 pronouns are she her today we
0:43 are holding our annual hearing
0:45 on hunger and food insecurity
0:47 in New York City we'll also be
0:49 hearing four pieces of
0:51 legislation the first in show
0:54 90s sponsored by council
0:54 member Joseph relates to the
0:56 city's response to extreme
0:58 weather circumstances such as
0:59 code blue and would require
1:01 reporting around warming
1:03 centers.
1:03 The second a pre considered
1:04 bill by Council Member Susan
1:06 shuang would create the role
1:08 of snap anti fraud officer and
1:11 fraud awareness campaign at
1:12 the department of social.
1:14 Services the third is
1:15 resolution 21 by council
1:16 member of this bill would call
1:18 on a New York state
1:19 legislature to pass and the
1:20 governor to sign a s 0 3 5 7 8
1:25 and s zero 400 three t
1:26 oestablish a snap and cash
1:29 assistance fraud victims
1:30 compensation fund and finally
1:32 council shulman pre considered
1:33 resolution calls on congress
1:35 to pass and the president t
1:37 osign
1:37 . S 12 oh to slash hr 2500 an
1:42 dthe hot foods act of 2025 to
1:45 permit supplemental nutrition
1:46 assistance program benefits t
1:47 obe used to purchase hot foods
1:49 or hot food products ready for
1:52 immediate consumption
1:53 . Moving on to our oversight
1:54 topic for today every year the
1:55 committee on general welfare
1:57 holds a hearing on hunger and
1:59 food insecurity recognizing
2:00 the growing challenges around
2:01 these issues for two many New
2:03 York er's.
2:03 We know that poverty and
2:06 food insecurity intersects
2:07 deeply while we live in a City
2:08 that is so often defined by
2:11 its wealth it's unacceptable
2:12 that thousands of families are
2:13 struggling to put food on the
2:15 table.
2:15 Day after day New yorkers
2:17 are experiencing rising costs
2:19 of living wage gaps and
2:21 increased barriers t
2:23 oaccessing benefits working
2:25 families seniors people of
2:26 color and immigrants are
2:27 forced into making impossible
2:28 choices to make ends meet in
2:31 March 2026 the mayor's office
2:32 of equity and racial justice
2:35 released their inaugural New
2:36 York City true cost of living
2:38 measure report that is a
2:40 framework that calculates what
2:41 New York City families need to
2:43 spend to live comfortably and
2:44 participate in the economy
2:46 across eight categories
2:49 housing food health care child
2:52 care taxes savings and other
2:54 necessities.
2:55 This measure is more precise
2:56 than the federal poverty
2:57 . Line according to the reportt
3:03 meet threshold
3:04 . Families not meeting the
3:05 threshold vary by borough with
3:07 the bronx having the highest
3:08 number of families not meeting
3:10 the threshold there are racial
3:13 disparities also across the
3:14 City 77.6% of hispanic
3:18 families 65.6% of black
3:20 families 63.3% of asian
3:23 american and pacific islander
3:25 families and 43.7% of white
3:27 families do not meet the
3:30 threshold certain populations
3:31 are more vulnerable to food
3:33 insecurity across the country
3:34 food insecurity rates are
3:36 highest among single mother
3:37 households and households with
3:39 incomes below the poverty line d
3:43 food insecure households often
3:43 have no choice but to purchase
3:45 lower nutritional quality
3:46 foods such as pre packed foods
3:48 or meals because they are less
3:50 expensive than whole foods and
3:51 can be prepared quickly for
3:54 these households a strong
3:55 social safety net is critical
3:57 however we are facing serious
3:58 and growing threats to the
4:00 social safety net at the
4:01 federal level the supplemental
4:03 nutrition assistance program
4:04 or snap remains to be a
4:06 lifeline for nearly New York
4:09 er's including over 50000
4:11 0children yet this program is
4:13 under unprecedented pressure
4:14 from proposed cuts stricter
4:16 work requirements and cost
4:17 shifting policies that could
4:18 force states to absorb
4:20 billions of dollars of New
4:21 expenses this is unsustainable
4:23 and would put more than 1
4:25 million New yorkers at risk of
4:26 losing their benefits
4:27 . Food insecurity is not an
4:30 isolated problem it's a
4:31 symptom of more wide sweeping
4:34 inequities to address it we
4:35 must strengthen and expand
4:37 access to programs like snap
4:38 not roll that access back we
4:39 must invest in food providers
4:41 and ensure that culturally
4:42 competent and healthy food is
4:43 available in every
4:45 neighborhood this conversation
4:46 also warrants addressing the
4:47 root issue of food insecurity
4:51 economic stability I'd like t
4:52 oacknowledge that we are joined
4:53 here by council members Joseph
4:56 and murano we hope that
4:57 today's hearing will result in
4:59 a conversation around
5:00 solutions to prioritize food
5:01 justice and ensure that no New
5:03 yorker goes hungry this is a
5:04 matter of human dignity I want
5:07 to conclude by thinking the
5:08 committee staff for their work
5:09 on this hearing and meant t
5:11 okilo on nina rosenberg Justin
5:14 campos julia haram ihs faria
5:17 roman elizabeth childers I
5:18 would also like to thank my
5:20 staff andrew wright and alek
5:22 run tin I will now pass the
5:23 mic to the other sponsors of
5:25 bills on today's agenda
5:27 Council Member do you have a
5:29 statement.
5:30 Yes thank you chair good
5:32 morning until 7 90 is a
5:34 critical step forward ensuring
5:35 that New York City is fully
5:36 prepared to protect our most
5:38 vulnerable residents during
5:40 extreme cold weather
5:41 . Far too often warming
5:42 centers serve as a lifeline
5:43 for older adults families and
5:45 individuals experiencing
5:48 homelessness but without
5:48 consistent data and
5:50 transparency we cannot
5:51 effectively measure whether
5:52 these resources are reaching
5:53 the communities that need them
5:55 the most by requiring
5:56 department of social services
5:58 and collaboration of officers
6:00 of emergency management t
6:01 oproduce annual publicly
6:03 available report this brings
6:04 this bill brings much needed
6:06 accountability and clarity t
6:07 ohow our warming centers
6:10 operate.
6:10 These reports will go beyond
6:11 this basic information they
6:12 will provide insight into
6:15 location locations hours of
6:18 operation staffing levels
6:19 accessibility and usage trends
6:21 across neighborhoods and age
6:23 . Groups just as importantly
6:24 they will assess whether
6:25 warning sensors are equitably
6:28 distributed and accessible t
6:29 ovulnerable populations while
6:31 offering concrete
6:31 recommendations to close any
6:32 . Gaps as we continue to
6:35 experience more unpredictable
6:36 . Severe weather patterns this
6:38 legislation ensure that our
6:39 City is not only responsive
6:41 but proactive it gives us the
6:42 tools to make informed
6:44 decisions allocate resources
6:45 more effectively and
6:46 ultimately save lives every
6:47 New yorker deserves a safe
6:49 warm place to turn during
6:51 extreme weather
6:52 . This bill helps us move
6:53 ujoseph and now the committee
6:59 council on mensa kilowatt will
7:00 administer the oath to the
7:02 administration
7:02 . Now in accordance with the
7:03 rules of the council I will
7:05 administer the affirmation t
7:06 mayoral administration oh ,
7:24 will you all please raise
7:25 your right hand do you affirm
7:27 to tell the truth the whole
7:28 truth and nothing but the
7:29 truth in your testimony before
7:30 this committee and to respond
7:33 honestly to Council Member
7:35 questions hara administrator
7:36 scott french I do.
7:38 T s s chief operations
7:40 officer matt bruhn I do s s
7:44 administrative nutritionist
7:47 diana salerno d h s deputy
7:49 commissioner of street
7:50 homeless solutions cassandra
7:53 white and chief of shelter
7:55 operations iris rodriguez
7:57 . I do thank you you begin
8:01 when ready good morning my
8:03 name is scott french and I
8:04 serve as administrator of the
8:07 human resources administration
8:08 h ara within the of social
8:10 services d s s
8:11 . I would like to thank chair
8:12 Hudson and the members of the
8:14 committee on general welfare
8:16 for.
8:17 Containing convening today's
8:17 hearing on food insecurity I
8:20 am joined today by chief
8:22 operating officer matthew
8:24 bruyne department of homeless
8:26 services chief of shelter
8:28 operations iris rodriguez
8:30 deputy commissioner street
8:30 homeless solutions division
8:33 within cassandra white and
8:34 administrative nutritionists
8:35 and the health service office
8:37 diana salerno food security is
8:40 an integral part of our work
8:42 at h r a and we appreciate the
8:46 opportunity to highlight the
8:47 important programs benefits
8:49 and collaborations under t
8:50 omake for a more food secure in
8:51 New York City I would like t
8:54 obegin by shining a spotlight
8:56 on critical resources for
8:57 anyone who is facing food
8:59 insecurity help is available
9:01 you can call 3 1 1 or visit
9:04 food help dot y si dot gov t
9:08 ofind nearby food pantries and
9:11 community kitchens access h r
9:12 a r mobile and r benefit
9:15 access centers service further
9:17 resources where clients can
9:18 apply for benefits for those
9:20 clients already receiving snap f
9:23 health and mental hygiene d o
9:25 h m h food access initiatives
9:27 serve as additional resources
9:29 including health bucks get the
9:30 good stuff and groceries to go
9:32 . In addition to the work of h
9:34 r a d h s I want to recognize
9:36 the work of our partners in
9:38 government including due mh
9:39 and the mayor's office of food
9:41 policy and our partners in
9:43 serving New York er's
9:45 including food Banks community
9:47 kitchens community fridges and
9:49 mutual aid groups from our
9:50 community based organizations
9:51 to our houses of worship an
9:53 array of sectors and
9:55 volunteers is engaged in
9:56 tackling the significant
9:58 challenge in addition
10:00 advocates and policymakers
10:01 across government and across
10:02 our shared communities play
10:04 critical roles in uplifting
10:05 food security ways ing
10:07 awareness about where to
10:09 receive assistance and
10:10 tackling the challenges food
10:12 insecurity food insecure
10:13 household face with dignity
10:16 and respect meeting New
10:16 yorkers where they are
10:18 providing culturally competent
10:19 services and treating
10:20 applicants and clients with
10:22 dignity and respect are all
10:26 touchstones esses outreach
10:27 strategy to advance food
10:28 security
10:29 . The office of community
10:31 outreach osi o conducts
10:33 targeted outreach campaigns t
10:35 oconnect with communities and
10:38 organizations serving specific
10:38 populations like older adults
10:40 immigrant communities persons
10:42 with disabilities and the lgbt
10:45 kia plus community ocho hosts
10:48 presentations attends resource
10:49 fairs farmers markets and
10:50 other community events to
10:52 increase snap awareness and
10:54 engagement ocio also provides
10:56 snap trainings and
10:58 presentations pre screens
11:00 potentially eligible
11:01 applicants and assists with
11:02 the snap application process
11:04 New York er's can also be
11:05 connected to a community based
11:07 organization to help with snap
11:09 enrollment as well as other
11:11 benefits by calling 311 or
11:13 visiting the h a website and
11:14 using the find a partner
11:18 organization tool in addition
11:19 participates in monthly snap
11:21 task force meetings chaired by
11:23 the food bank for New York
11:24 City to provide updates and
11:26 answer questions from
11:29 participating cbos in 20 25
11:31 conducted a total of 7
11:33 6trainings and using these
11:34 tools to submit snap and other
11:37 benefit applications and
11:38 provided benefit case
11:39 management via axis r a 190
11:44 2participants attended these
11:46 trainings attendees include
11:46 staff from other municipal
11:48 agencies and community partner
11:51 organizations.
11:51 These trainings also served
11:52 as a forum for questions and
11:55 concerns from providers and
11:56 advocates working directly
11:57 with dra and clients d h s h r a
12:02 . Serves as the administrator
12:04 of vital programs to combat
12:07 food insecurity as of February
12:10 2026 the supplemental
12:11 nutrition assistance program
12:12 snap served New yorkers the u
12:15 s department of agriculture
12:18 snap program access index
12:20 index p a I serves as one key
12:23 metric for assessing snap's
12:24 reach and states and
12:27 municipalities and one
12:27 indicator of the work
12:29 undertaken to connect
12:29 communities to snap the 20 24
12:32 p a I data is the most recent
12:35 available due to the fact that
12:36 the 20 25 census data used in
12:39 the calculation will not be
12:40 released until the fall of 2
12:42 026 the 20 24 snap p I for New
12:44 York City was 95.7% meaning
12:50 administered administered
12:51 administered snap benefits t
12:52 omore than New York er's out of
12:56 the New York er's below a
13:00 hundred 25% of the federal
13:02 poverty line thanks to the
13:03 hard work of fra and our
13:06 community partners.
13:07 New York city's p I has has
13:10 extorted historically outpaced
13:10 of the state and the u s
13:12 overall in 20 23 the state's p
13:15 a I was 85.3% and
13:18 . The nationwide pas I was 80%
13:21 compared to the city's p I of
13:24 94.9%.
13:25 For New York City the
13:26 difference between serving 9
13:29 57% and 80% of people below a
13:33 hundred 25% of the is more
13:34 than 250000 New York er's what
13:37 do these numbers and
13:40 percentages mean that means
13:41 fewer heads of household
13:42 facing sleepless nights
13:43 worrying about the next meal
13:45 that means more of our
13:47 families friends and neighbors
13:48 having the food security they
13:50 deserve those numbers are also
13:52 a positive reflection of our
13:53 past efforts to leverag
13:55 etechnology our outreach
13:56 and community partners h r a
14:01 remains committed to buildin
14:03 gon that success in connecting
14:04 eligible New yorkers to snap