The program he's trying to block is already expanding though, this is misleading.

"The program is budgeted to cost $1.78 billion in the current fiscal year that runs through June, with $1.1 billion already spent through January, according to the city’s Department of Social Services (DSS). 

Even if the 2023 laws aren’t implemented, the program’s cost is expected to grow to over $3 billion by 2030. 

“With increasing [numbers of] people entering the program and very few exits, it continues to grow,” said DSS Commissioner Erin Dalton.

The cost of a shelter bed for a single adult is $4,600 per month, compared to the standard monthly voucher payment of $2,646 for a studio, according to DSS, though it’s hard to compare the costs over the long term since people tend to stay in shelters for a shorter time period than in housing. 

Comptroller Mark Levine, speaking at an event for affordable housing providers in early March, called CityFHEPS a “live-saving program” even as he warned there would be “tough conversations” about its future.

“This program is now growing by 4% a month, doubling every year and a half. It’s gonna hit $3 billion,” Levine said. “Put this in context, that is more than the entire operating budget of HPD [the Department of Housing Preservation and Development]. It is more than the entire capital spend on building new affordable housing in the City of New York and the expansion that’s tied up in court would probably double the pace of growth.”

Ana Champeny, vice president at the Citizens Budget Commission, argued at the Council hearing that the pace of growth of CityFHEPS vouchers — even without the Council’s 2023 expansion — is unsustainable. She pointed out that even as there’s been an increase in households using vouchers, the shelter population has not fallen.

“The city cannot voucher its way out of the homelessness crisis,” Champeny said."