Res. No. 2239

Resolution calling on the Department of Homeless Services to locate transitional housing of the same approximate capacity in succession by borough.

By Council Members Vann, Dilan, Foster, Gonzalez, James, Seabrook and Vacca

Whereas, Section 203 of the New York City Charter requires that the City Planning Commission establish criteria for the location of any new city facilities; and

            Whereas, These rules were adopted and apply to the siting of new city facilities and the significant expansion, closing, or reduction in size or capacity for service delivery of existing facilities; and

            Whereas, The purpose of such rules is to further the fair distribution among communities of the burdens and benefits associated with city facilities; and

Whereas, These “fair share” criteria are supposed to protect communities from being overburdened with service facilities; and

Whereas, The “fair share” criteria do not apply to all facilities that serve the homeless; and

Whereas, Various communities throughout Brooklyn and the Bronx have voiced concerns over the high number of facilities for the homeless in their neighborhoods; and

Whereas, While DHS is constrained by the legal requirement to house homeless individuals and families, it should consider the current concentration of social services in a community prior to opening a new facility or expanding existing facilities; and

Whereas, According to DHS data dated July 1, 2009, regarding the number of shelters in the City, approximately 38% of DHS family and single adult shelters were located in Brooklyn and 28% were located in the Bronx and Manhattan each; and

Whereas, According to DHS data regarding the capacity of adult shelters in the City, approximately 49% of people in the adult shelter system were located in Manhattan shelters and approximately 41% were located in Brooklyn as of June 10, 2009; and

Whereas, According to DHS data regarding the capacity of family shelters in the City, approximately 38% of the people in the family shelter system were located in the Bronx and approximately 29% were located in Brooklyn as of September 30, 2009; and

Whereas, The above numbers suggest that transitional housing for the homeless is disproportionately concentrated in certain boroughs; and

Whereas, In order to evenly disperse transitional housing for the homeless, DHS should locate transitional housing of the same approximate capacity in succession by borough, meaning that, for example, if DHS identifies transitional housing with capacity for 10-20 adults in Brooklyn, the subsequent location of DHS transitional housing of the same capacity would be located in a borough other than Brooklyn, until all of the other boroughs have received transitional housing of the same capacity; and

Whereas, Requiring that newly created or expanded DHS transitional housing of the same approximate capacity be located in succession by borough would prevent burdens from continuously being placed on the same boroughs, and would facilitate an even distribution of services among all five boroughs; and

Whereas, Given the far reaching implications of opening up new facilities or modifying current transitional housing in residential communities, it is imperative that a new set of rules for creating equal distribution among the boroughs be devised; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the Department of Homeless Services to locate transitional housing of the same approximate capacity in succession by borough.

LS 7883

MBT

10/26/09

5:04 pm