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Council hears wide-ranging DSS budget briefing amid SNAP, shelter and staffing concerns
Summary
At a March 17 General Welfare Committee hearing, DSS leadership outlined FY27 preliminary budgets for HRA and DHS, warned of risks from federal HR1 SNAP changes, and defended investments in shelter capacity and City FEPS vouchers while council members probed high vacancy rates, service backlogs and the planned Bellevue intake move.
The New York City Council’s General Welfare Committee held a preliminary FY27 budget hearing focused on the Department of Social Services on March 17, hearing opening remarks from Chairperson Hudson and a detailed agency presentation by Commissioner Aaron Dalton and senior DSS officials.
Dalton said the consolidated DSS preliminary budget sits at roughly $19.26 billion — about 15% of the city’s proposed $127 billion plan — split roughly between the Human Resources Administration (HRA) and the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). He told the committee the agency’s priorities are to streamline access to benefits, address homelessness and create economic stability for low-income New Yorkers.
Why it matters: The hearing underscored how city services and benefits intersect — from…
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