Increases the value of rent subsidies included as a part of preventive services from an amount not to exceed three hundred dollars per month to an amount not to exceed six hundred dollars per month.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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4329--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 4, 2019
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Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI, DeSTEFANO -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Children and Families -- recommitted to the Committee
on Children and Families in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 --
committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to increasing the
value of rent subsidies to be included as a part of preventive
services
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 409-a of the
2 social services law, as amended by chapter 624 of the laws of 2019, is
3 amended to read as follows:
4 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, where a
5 social services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is
6 the primary factor preventing the discharge of a child or children from
7 foster care including, but not limited to, children with the goal of
8 discharge to independent living, preventive services shall include, in
9 addition to any other payments or benefits received by the family,
10 special cash grants in the form of rent subsidies, including rent
11 arrears, or any other assistance, sufficient to obtain adequate housing.
12 Such rent subsidies or assistance shall not exceed the sum of [three]
13 six hundred dollars per month, shall not be provided for a period of
14 more than three years, and shall be considered a special grant. Nothing
15 in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the ability of those using
16 such rent subsidy to live with roommates. The provisions of this para-
17 graph shall not be construed to limit such official's authority to
18 provide other preventive services.
19 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 409-a of the social services law, as
20 amended by chapter 624 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as
21 follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01044-02-0
A. 4329--A 2
1 7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if a social
2 services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is a factor
3 that may cause the entry of a child or children into foster care and the
4 family has at least one service need other than lack of adequate hous-
5 ing, preventive services may include, in addition to any other payments
6 or benefits received by the family, special cash grants in the form of
7 rent subsidies, including rent arrears, or any other assistance, suffi-
8 cient to obtain adequate housing. Such rent subsidies or assistance
9 shall not exceed the sum of [three] six hundred dollars per month, shall
10 not be provided for a period of more than three years, and shall be
11 considered a special grant. Nothing in this subdivision shall be
12 construed to limit the ability of those using such rent subsidy to live
13 with roommates. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed
14 to limit such official's authority to provide other preventive services.
15 § 3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
16 the date on which it shall have become a law.
