Int. No. 661
By Council Members Vann, Arroyo, Dickens, Fidler, James, Mendez, Williams, Dilan, Wills, Mark-Viverito, Comrie, Levin, Dromm, Vacca, Nelson, Ulrich and Halloran
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to report on a monthly basis the location of all of their facilities.
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 21-316 to read as follows:
§21-316. Monthly DHS Facility Location Report.
a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
1. "DHS" shall mean the department of homeless services;
2. "DHS-administered facilities" shall mean city-administered facilities, including but not limited to hotels and shelters, which are managed directly by DHS or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with DHS;
3. "DHS drop-in centers" shall mean city-administered facilities that provide single adults with hot meals, showers, laundry facilities, clothing, medical care, recreational space, employment referrals and/or housing placement services, but not overnight housing;
4. "DHS faith-based beds" shall mean city-administered facilities that provide overnight housing to individuals, are affiliated with one or more religious groups and receive client referrals through organizations under contract with DHS;
5. "DHS safe havens" shall mean city-administered facilities that provide low-threshold, harm-reduction housing to chronic street homeless individuals, who are referred to such facilities through a DHS outreach program, without the obligation of entering into other supportive and rehabilitative services in order to reduce barriers to temporary housing;
6. "DHS stabilization beds" shall mean city-administered facilities that provide a short-term housing option for a chronic street homeless individual while such individual works with his/her outreach team to locate a more permanent housing option; and
7. "DHS veterans shelters" shall mean city-administered facilities that provide short-term housing for people who actively served in the United States military.
b. Monthly report of DHS facility locations. Beginning 60 days after the enactment of this law and on a monthly basis thereafter, the department shall submit to the Council and all New York City Community Boards a detailed report setting forth the street address, disaggregated by borough, of all DHS drop-in centers, DHS faith-based beds, DHS safe havens, DHS stabilization beds, DHS veterans shelters, and all other DHS-administered facilities.
c. The information provided pursuant to subdivision b above shall also be published electronically on the department's website.
§2. This local law shall take effect immediately.
LS #2421
CJG
8/16/11