File #: Int 0229-2024    Version: * Name: Shelter referrals and assessments for temporary housing assistance.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on General Welfare
On agenda: 2/28/2024
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to shelter referrals and assessments for temporary housing assistance
Sponsors: Crystal Hudson, Lincoln Restler, Chi A. Ossé, Kamillah Hanks
Council Member Sponsors: 4
Summary: This bill would reduce the required housing history from two years to one year in order for families with children to demonstrate their eligibility for entry into the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter system. It would additionally require DHS staff to upload all documents relevant to an applicant’s housing history to a digital case record and communicate with an applicant about any missing documents through electronic methods. This bill would give families with children at least thirty days in temporary shelter pending a determination of their eligibility for shelter, subject to the approval of the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance. This bill would also require DHS to create an informational pamphlet listing examples of documents that could demonstrate proof of housing history and ensure that such pamphlet is posted online and distributed to families with children at the PATH intake center.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 229, 2. Int. No. 229, 3. February 28, 2024 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 2-28-24, 5. Minutes of the Stated Meeting - February 28, 2024

Int. No. 229

By Council Members Hudson, Restler, Ossé and Hanks

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to shelter referrals and assessments for temporary housing assistance

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 3 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-334 to read as follows:

§ 21-334 Referrals to shelter and assessments for temporary housing assistance. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Families with children. The term “families with children” means families with adults and children under the age of 18; families with adults and children under the age of 19 attending secondary school; a single pregnant woman; and families including at least 1 pregnant woman.

Intake facility. The term “intake facility” means the prevention assistance and temporary housing center or any successor entity.

Shelter. The term “shelter” means a building, or individual units within a building, utilized by the department or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department to provide temporary emergency housing.

Temporary housing assistance. The term “temporary housing assistance” means a public assistance benefit provided to a family with children to meet an immediate need for shelter.

b. Subject to approval of the state office of temporary and disability assistance, a family with children that has applied for temporary housing assistance shall be provided with emergency shelter for at least 30 days while the assessment of eligibility to receive temporary housing assistance and suitability for referral to a shelter is completed by the department. 

c. A family with children shall not be required to furnish evidence demonstrating more than 1 year of housing history to apply for temporary housing assistance.

d. 1. No later than 30 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the department shall create an informational pamphlet that contains the following information:

(a) Examples of documents that may verify housing history, including, but not limited to, utility bills, leases, and eviction notices; and

(b) The process and criteria by which housing history is verified by the department.

2. Such informational pamphlet shall be posted on the department’s website and distributed to every family with children who visits an intake facility.

§ 2. Chapter 3 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-335 to read as follows:

§ 21-335 Digital case record management. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Case record. The term “case record” has the meaning set forth in subdivision (a) of section 354.1 of title 18 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, regarding the maintenance of a case record for each application and for each case of public assistance.

Temporary housing assistance. The term “temporary housing assistance” means a public assistance benefit provided to a family with children to meet an immediate need for shelter.

b. The department shall maintain a digital case record for each applicant or recipient of temporary housing assistance that shall be accessible to such applicant or recipient via a secure website and application for use on mobile devices including phones.

c. The department shall immediately inform an applicant for temporary housing assistance of any need for information to complete the assessment of such applicant’s eligibility for temporary housing assistance through the digital case record required by subdivision b of this section, in addition to any other form of notice required by applicable law, rule, or regulation.

§ 3. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

Session 13

LS 10767

1/25/2024

 

Session 12

ACK

LS 10767

6/1/2023