A day after Mayor Bill de Blasio said current HRA Commissioner Steven Banks would lead Homeless Services, pending a 90-day review of the agency, Banks sat down with reporters Wednesday, fielding questions for more than an hour.
While Banks offered few specifics about what immediate changes he’ll make to tackle the near-record number of people living without permanent shelter, he said he plans to look at the organization from a client’s perspective.
“I’m confident that in working with the support of the mayor and working with the First Deputy Mayor, working with the staff at HRA, the staff at DHS, and the providers, that we can make progress,” said Banks.
He defined “progress” as clients receiving the help they need in a timely way. To do that, Banks said the city plans to analyze how it delivers services from the perspective of a client who may have to navigate multiple agencies.
Banks avoided criticizing the outgoing commissioner Gilbert Taylor who he reiterated would give input to the DHS review process.
He also repeatedly pointed to the policy failures of previous administrations, like ending the Advantage rental subsidy program.
Pressed on what he thought were some to the sources of frustration when it came to how DHS has been operating, Banks said that’s not how he viewed the situation.
“Remember I was a Legal Aid lawyer for 33 years,” said Banks, “I’m an optimist by nature.”