Relates to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to notify the affected community board prior to locating transitional housing for the homeless; requires written notification sixty days before the department enters into a contractual arrangement with a transitional housing provider or otherwise finalizes its decision to use or expand a location as transitional housing.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6879
SPONSOR: Blake TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to notify the
affected community board prior to locating transitional housing for the
homeless
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To ensure that community leaders and residents are aware of the poten-
tial changes in their area as to allow for their input and partic-
ipation.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section one requires the commissioner to provide written notification to
the community board, the offices of all elected leaders who have juris-
diction over that area, and neighboring Tenant Association presidents.
It specifies that this written notification should provide a set of
details including but not limited to the address of the potential
project, a description of services that would be provided, and an
amount-estimate of persons from that borough that would be housed under
the proposed project.
Section 2 defines the effective date of this act.
JUSTIFICATION:
While understanding that there is a Homelessness crisis in our city and
state, we must ensure that residents and community leader have an oppor-
tunity to be fully aware of a potential effort. Notifying these parties
in advance will give them an adequate amount of time to learn of the
initiative, understand any concerns and discuss the path forward so that
the community is fully apart of the process. The current DHS proposal of
a seven day notification is insufficient for creating an inclusive and
collaborative process the community can engage in.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Not yet introduced.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall become a
law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6879
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 8, 2015
___________
Introduced by M. of A. BLAKE -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Cities
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to notify
the affected community board prior to locating transitional housing
for the homeless
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended
2 by adding a new section 21-317 to read as follows:
3 § 21-317 Community notification requirement. 1. When the department
4 intends to use a new location as transitional housing for eligible home-
5 less families and individuals, or expand an existing location where
6 transitional housing is provided, the commissioner shall provide notifi-
7 cation in writing to the community board for the community district in
8 which the transitional housing will be located. Such notice shall be
9 provided at least sixty days before the department enters into a
10 contractual arrangement with a transitional housing provider or other-
11 wise finalizes its decision to use or expand a location as transitional
12 housing.
13 2. The notification shall include the address of the transitional
14 housing, the number of people who will be housed, the name of the person
15 or entity operating the transitional housing, the name of any organiza-
16 tion, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, that will be providing
17 services to the occupants of the transitional housing, the type of tran-
18 sitional housing, a description of the services that will be provided,
19 the rationale for choosing such location, and an approximate schedule
20 for when such transitional housing will be used or expanded.
21 3. This section shall apply to any transitional housing facility oper-
22 ated or contracted for, by or on behalf of the department, regardless of
23 its size and capacity.
24 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09870-01-5
