Int. No. 829
By Council Members Richardson Jordan, Marte, Barron, Avilés and Hudson
A Local Law to amend the New York city charter and the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to emphasizing permanent housing and transparency in the provision of homeless services
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Paragraphs 2 and 3 of subdivision a of section 612 of the New York city charter, as added by local law number 19 for the year 1999, are amended to read as follows:
a. The commissioner shall have the powers and perform the duties of a commissioner of social services under the social services law for the purpose of fulfilling [his or her] the commissioner’s responsibilities under this chapter. In the performance of [his or her] such functions, the commissioner shall:
2. develop, maintain and, where necessary, strengthen the system for the provision of transitional housing and services for homeless families and individuals so such families and individuals move from transitional housing to permanent housing as quickly as possible;
3. in consultation with other appropriate governmental agencies, including, but not limited to, the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of housing preservation and development, the mayor’s office of criminal justice and the New York city housing authority, plan permanent housing and services for homeless families and individuals, including, but not limited to, developing and implementing housing first strategies, including, but not limited to, rapid rehousing, so homeless families and individuals move from transitional housing to permanent housing as quickly as possible. For the purposes of this paragraph, “housing first” means an approach to homelessness that prioritizes permanent housing and then supportive services afterwards, and “rapid rehousing” means an intervention to help homeless families and individuals that do not need intensive and ongoing social service supports to quickly exit homelessness to permanent housing.
§ 2. Subdivision a of section 21-302 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as renumbered by local law number 19 for the year 1999, is amended to read as follows:
a. 1. The commissioner shall establish, maintain and operate housing-readiness training for all eligible homeless persons determined to be in need of such training. This training shall include such subjects as the commissioner shall determine are necessary to enable such eligible homeless persons to acquire the skills necessary for adjustment to and remaining in permanent housing, including, but not limited to, budgeting, communicating with landlords, having roommates and navigating the rental process. On or before December 31, 1995, the commissioner shall promulgate a housing-readiness training plan to be used in such training as shall be established, maintained and operated pursuant to this section. Beginning on December 31, 1995, such housing-readiness training shall be available, as part of case management services as required by section 21-314, to each eligible homeless person determined to be in need of such training, no less frequently than on a quarterly basis, at each transitional housing facility.
2. The commissioner shall annually report on such training to the mayor and the speaker of the council and post such report on the department’s website. Such annual report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for the previous year:
(a) A description of such training, including, but not limited to, the training plan, the subjects included in such training, the factors the department considers to determine which homeless persons are eligible for such training and the efforts of temporary housing facilities to integrate such training into case management services;
(b) The number of transitional housing facilities that provided such training; and
(c) For each facility that provided such training, the number of homeless individuals and families who received such training and the number of such individuals and families who moved to permanent housing after receiving such training.
§ 3. Section 21-305 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as renumbered by local law number 19 for the year 1999, is amended to read as follows:
§ 21-305 Permanent housing resource clearinghouse. 1. The commissioner shall establish, in conjunction with the department of health and mental hygiene, the department of housing preservation and development, the mayor’s office of criminal justice and the New York city housing authority, a permanent housing resource clearinghouse to coordinate and track such permanent housing resources as may be approved as available to eligible homeless persons. The commissioner shall make such clearinghouse available to each transitional housing facility. Each such facility shall create a plan to utilize such clearinghouse to help homeless families and individuals in such facility move to permanent housing.
2. The commissioner shall annually report on such clearinghouse to the mayor and the speaker of the council and post such report on the department’s website. Such annual report shall include, but not be limited to, the following information for the previous year:
(a) A description of such clearinghouse, including, but not limited to, the permanent housing resources included in such clearinghouse;
(b) A summary of the transitional housing facilities’ plans to utilize such clearinghouse;
(c) The number of transitional housing facilities that utilized such clearinghouse; and
(d) For each transitional housing facility, the number of homeless individuals and families
who utilized such clearinghouse and the number of such homeless individuals and families who moved to permanent housing after utilizing such clearinghouse.
§ 3. Section 21-308 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as renumbered by local law number 19 for the year 1999, is amended to read as follows:
1. The commissioner shall submit to the speaker of the city council a Five-Year Plan to
Relieve Homelessness, including but not limited to the following:
a. Projected numbers of homeless individuals and families.
b. Projected expense and capital budgets for the department, including, but not limited to expenditures for homeless individual and homeless family programs, facilities and services.
c. Projected number of transitional housing facilities to be constructed or rehabilitated to accommodate homeless individuals and families.
d. Projected number of permanent housing units to be constructed or rehabilitated to accommodate homeless individuals and families.
e. Projected number of homeless individuals and families to move from transitional housing facilities to permanent housing units.
f. Projected number of homeless individuals and families to move from transitional housing facilities to permanent housing units owned or operated by the New York city housing authority.
g. Projected number of homeless individuals and families to move from transitional housing facilities to supportive housing. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term “supportive housing” means affordable, permanent housing with support services.
h. Efforts the department will take to decrease the length of stay of homeless individuals and families in transitional housing facilities.
2. a. The Five-Year Plan shall be reviewed and updated by the commissioner each year [, and the]. Such review shall include, but not be limited to, an explanation regarding whether the department achieved the metrics as required by subdivision 1 of this section. Such updated version shall include, but not be limited to, any updates of the metrics required by subdivision 1 of this section, after such review. Such review and updated version thereof shall be submitted to the speaker of the city council not later than October first of each year and posted on the department’s website.
b. In the fifth year covered by each such Five-Year Plan, the commissioner shall submit a Five-Year Plan to Relieve Homelessness for the next succeeding five-year period not later than six months prior to the last day of such fifth year to the speaker of the city council and post such Five-Year Plan on the department’s website. The commissioner shall utilize the reviews and updated versions as required by paragraph a of this subdivision in such Five-Year Plan for the next succeeding five-year period.
§ 4. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner of homeless services shall take such measures as are necessary for the implementation of this local law, including the promulgation of rules, before such date.
NLB
LS #7950
7/14/2022 9:27 AM