Details Meeting Name: Committee on General Welfare Agenda status: Final Meeting date/time: 9/13/2022 1:00 PM Minutes status: Final   Meeting location: Council Chambers - City Hall Published agenda: Agenda Published minutes: Minutes   Meeting video: Video   Attachments: CLICK ANY FILE # BELOW (in blue) TO ACCESS LEGISLATION AND ATTACHMENTS Meeting Items (23) 23 records Group Clear sorting Clear grouping Group by Type Group by Result Export Export to Excel Export to PDF Export to Word Show: All agenda items Legislation only All agenda items File # Ver. Prime Sponsor Agenda # Agenda Note Name Type Summary Action Result Action Details Multimedia                     Roll call Not available Int 0092-2022 * Diana I. Ayala     Creation of an advisory board for accessibility at shelters. Introduction This bill would create an accessibility advisory board to advise the Mayor and the City Council on issues relating to accessibility for clients in City shelters. The advisory board would include individuals who live with disability and currently reside in a homeless shelter or have previously resided in a homeless shelter. The advisory board would meet at least quarterly. The bill would also require the advisory board to submit an annual report on its review and recommendations on an annual basis. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0092-2022 * Diana I. Ayala     Creation of an advisory board for accessibility at shelters. Introduction This bill would create an accessibility advisory board to advise the Mayor and the City Council on issues relating to accessibility for clients in City shelters. The advisory board would include individuals who live with disability and currently reside in a homeless shelter or have previously resided in a homeless shelter. The advisory board would meet at least quarterly. The bill would also require the advisory board to submit an annual report on its review and recommendations on an annual basis. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0108-2022 * Robert F. Holden     Creating an annual report on the performance of department of homeless services providers. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to submit an annual report to the Speaker of the City Council on the performance of DHS providers in the City, disaggregated by each drop-in center, safe haven and shelter that the provider operates. It would also require DHS to post the report on its website within 30 days of submitting the report to the Speaker. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0108-2022 * Robert F. Holden     Creating an annual report on the performance of department of homeless services providers. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to submit an annual report to the Speaker of the City Council on the performance of DHS providers in the City, disaggregated by each drop-in center, safe haven and shelter that the provider operates. It would also require DHS to post the report on its website within 30 days of submitting the report to the Speaker. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0124-2022 * Rafael Salamanca, Jr.     Reporting on and training of housing specialists within the human resources administration and department of homeless services. Introduction This bill would require the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to designate housing specialists within all temporary shelters and to submit an annual report on housing specialists. This bill would also update requirements for housing specialists in Department of Homeless Services (DHS) transitional housing facilities and would require DHS to submit an annual report on housing specialists. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0124-2022 * Rafael Salamanca, Jr.     Reporting on and training of housing specialists within the human resources administration and department of homeless services. Introduction This bill would require the Human Resources Administration (HRA) to designate housing specialists within all temporary shelters and to submit an annual report on housing specialists. This bill would also update requirements for housing specialists in Department of Homeless Services (DHS) transitional housing facilities and would require DHS to submit an annual report on housing specialists. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0132-2022 * Sandra Ung     Intake facilities for families with children seeking shelter. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to establish one additional intake center for families with children in either the borough of Brooklyn or the borough of Queens. DHS would be required to open the intake center within three years of the effective date of the law however, if the selected location for such intake center would require submission of an application pursuant to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), DHS would have three years to file an application pursuant to ULURP for that location. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0132-2022 * Sandra Ung     Intake facilities for families with children seeking shelter. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to establish one additional intake center for families with children in either the borough of Brooklyn or the borough of Queens. DHS would be required to open the intake center within three years of the effective date of the law however, if the selected location for such intake center would require submission of an application pursuant to the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), DHS would have three years to file an application pursuant to ULURP for that location. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0190-2022 * Public Advocate Jumaane Williams     Creation and distribution of a statement of rights for persons experiencing homelessness and residing in shelter. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to produce a statement of rights for those living in shelter, which would inform clients experiencing homelessness about the rights and services available to them. In addition, DHS would be required to make this document available on its website and to provide it to shelters and social services offices for distribution to people experiencing homelessness. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0190-2022 * Public Advocate Jumaane Williams     Creation and distribution of a statement of rights for persons experiencing homelessness and residing in shelter. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to produce a statement of rights for those living in shelter, which would inform clients experiencing homelessness about the rights and services available to them. In addition, DHS would be required to make this document available on its website and to provide it to shelters and social services offices for distribution to people experiencing homelessness. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0229-2022 * Tiffany Cabán     Monthly rental assistance payments for households with rental assistance vouchers. Introduction This bill would prohibit the department of social services from deducting a utility allowance from the maximum rental allowance of a rental assistance voucher. The bill would also require the department, in situations where the actual rent of a household receiving a rental assistance voucher is less than the maximum rental allowance for that household, to reduce the tenant’s contribution by the difference between the maximum rental allowance and the actual rent, up to the amount of the utility allowance. If such a reduction is greater than the household rent contribution, the department would be required to issue a check to the household in the amount of such excess, within the month in which such excess is accrued. Further, this bill provides that if a household receives a shelter allowance that is reduced by accepting an apartment that is less than the maximum rental allowance, the department shall issue a check to the household in the amount of such a reduction within the month in which such reduction is accrued. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0229-2022 * Tiffany Cabán     Monthly rental assistance payments for households with rental assistance vouchers. Introduction This bill would prohibit the department of social services from deducting a utility allowance from the maximum rental allowance of a rental assistance voucher. The bill would also require the department, in situations where the actual rent of a household receiving a rental assistance voucher is less than the maximum rental allowance for that household, to reduce the tenant’s contribution by the difference between the maximum rental allowance and the actual rent, up to the amount of the utility allowance. If such a reduction is greater than the household rent contribution, the department would be required to issue a check to the household in the amount of such excess, within the month in which such excess is accrued. Further, this bill provides that if a household receives a shelter allowance that is reduced by accepting an apartment that is less than the maximum rental allowance, the department shall issue a check to the household in the amount of such a reduction within the month in which such reduction is accrued. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0276-2022 * Chi A. Ossé     De-escalation and trauma-informed training for dept of homeless services employees. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”) to conduct trainings on techniques to improve professionalism, increase cultural sensitivity, de-escalate conflict and use trauma-informed theory for all DHS employees and contractors providing services to the public. DHS would be required to report annually on the number of individuals who have received such training. The first report would be due on January 31, 2024. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0276-2022 * Chi A. Ossé     De-escalation and trauma-informed training for dept of homeless services employees. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services (“DHS”) to conduct trainings on techniques to improve professionalism, increase cultural sensitivity, de-escalate conflict and use trauma-informed theory for all DHS employees and contractors providing services to the public. DHS would be required to report annually on the number of individuals who have received such training. The first report would be due on January 31, 2024. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0421-2022 * Kevin C. Riley     Requiring the department of homeless services to report on families with children. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services to produce a quarterly report containing information related to families with children living in shelter. For each reporting period, the required report would include the number of such families in each type of shelter; the average length of stay in shelter for such families; the number of such families who exited shelter for permanent housing; and metrics concerning school enrollment and attendance for children living in shelter. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0421-2022 * Kevin C. Riley     Requiring the department of homeless services to report on families with children. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services to produce a quarterly report containing information related to families with children living in shelter. For each reporting period, the required report would include the number of such families in each type of shelter; the average length of stay in shelter for such families; the number of such families who exited shelter for permanent housing; and metrics concerning school enrollment and attendance for children living in shelter. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0431-2022 * Rafael Salamanca, Jr.     Customer service training for shelter personnel of the department of homeless services and its contractors. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services to, unless provided otherwise by contract, provide biannual customer service training to all shelter personnel, including employees of a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department, who have direct contact with shelter residents. Such training would include techniques to improve professionalism, increase cultural sensitivity, implement a trauma-informed approach to interactions with shelter residents, and de-escalate conflict. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0431-2022 * Rafael Salamanca, Jr.     Customer service training for shelter personnel of the department of homeless services and its contractors. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services to, unless provided otherwise by contract, provide biannual customer service training to all shelter personnel, including employees of a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department, who have direct contact with shelter residents. Such training would include techniques to improve professionalism, increase cultural sensitivity, implement a trauma-informed approach to interactions with shelter residents, and de-escalate conflict. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0513-2022 * Sandra Ung     Requiring the department of homeless services to report on the feasibility of establishing partnerships with community-based organizations to accept and process applications for shelter intake from families with children. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services to report on the feasibility of partnering with community-based organizations to accept and process application for shelter intake for families with children. The report would include information relating barriers to implementation of such a program, training requirements, cost estimates, access to databases or other systems and confidentiality and data privacy. The report would also include an estimated timeline for implementing such partnerships. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0513-2022 * Sandra Ung     Requiring the department of homeless services to report on the feasibility of establishing partnerships with community-based organizations to accept and process applications for shelter intake from families with children. Introduction This bill would require the Department of Homeless Services to report on the feasibility of partnering with community-based organizations to accept and process application for shelter intake for families with children. The report would include information relating barriers to implementation of such a program, training requirements, cost estimates, access to databases or other systems and confidentiality and data privacy. The report would also include an estimated timeline for implementing such partnerships. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0522-2022 * Erik D. Bottcher     Requiring mental health professionals in families with children shelters. Introduction This bill would require mental health professionals to be available in each families with children shelter to provide on-site or telehealth mental health services. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) would be required to maintain a pro-rated ratio of at least one full-time mental health professional for up to every 50 families with children. This bill would also require DHS to annually report to the Mayor and the Speaker on the provision of mental health professionals in families with children shelters, and post such report on its website. Hearing Held by Committee   Action details Not available Int 0522-2022 * Erik D. Bottcher     Requiring mental health professionals in families with children shelters. Introduction This bill would require mental health professionals to be available in each families with children shelter to provide on-site or telehealth mental health services. The Department of Homeless Services (DHS) would be required to maintain a pro-rated ratio of at least one full-time mental health professional for up to every 50 families with children. This bill would also require DHS to annually report to the Mayor and the Speaker on the provision of mental health professionals in families with children shelters, and post such report on its website. Laid Over by Committee   Action details Not available