S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1383
                              2015-2016 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                   January 12, 2015
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  M. of A. LENTOL -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. MILLER
         -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
       AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  special  stand-
         ards for shelters for adults
         THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section 1. Legislative intent. Because certain  local  governments  in
    2  New  York state have not developed a comprehensive plan for dealing with
    3  the homeless, they have started the practice of sheltering large numbers
    4  of the homeless in large, single sites that often do not  meet  building
    5  codes.  This  practice  does not benefit either the homeless themselves,
    6  because proper services do not reach them, or the community in which the
    7  shelter is located,  because  its  resources  are  strained  past  their
    8  limits.
    9    The problem of this practice of warehousing is compounded when instead
   10  of  distributing  smaller  shelters  equally to all communities within a
   11  locality, a  few  communities  are  forced  to  provide  shelter  for  a
   12  disproportionate  number  of  the  homeless.  A  great deal of stress is
   13  placed on the affected community by the presence of people who are not a
   14  natural part of the community's life. Furthermore, the community's abil-
   15  ity  to  deliver  services,  such  as  health  care  and  rehabilitative
   16  services, to large numbers of people is usually limited.
   17    Cities  in New York must develop a plan for the equitable distribution
   18  of the homeless population among its communities. For instance, each  of
   19  New  York  city's  fifty-nine community boards would be held responsible
   20  for at least one facility in its geographic district which would provide
   21  services and shelter for  approximately  one  hundred  homeless  men  or
   22  women.
   23    S  2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 461-u
   24  to read as follows:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01552-01-5
       A. 1383                             2
    1    S 461-U. SPECIAL STANDARDS FOR SHELTERS FOR ADULTS.  ANY  SHELTER  FOR
    2  ADULTS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, WHICH IS CERTIFIED TO
    3  PROVIDE,  PURSUANT  TO  THIS  ARTICLE, TEMPORARY RESIDENTIAL SERVICES TO
    4  ADULTS  OR  ANY  FACILITY  WHICH  IS  OPERATED  BY  A  MUNICIPALITY   OR
    5  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPORATION  FOR  THE  PURPOSE  OF PROVIDING SHELTER AND
    6  SERVICES TO HOMELESS SINGLE ADULTS SHALL, NO LATER  THAN  TWELVE  MONTHS
    7  FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, LIMIT THE SIZE OF ALL NEW SHEL-
    8  TER  FACILITIES  TO  ONE  HUNDRED  CLIENTS PER FACILITY AND RESTRICT THE
    9  GEOGRAPHIC PLACEMENT OF EVERY FACILITY TO NO NEARER THAN A DISTANCE OF A
   10  THREE MILE RADIUS FROM ANY OTHER FACILITY. ANY SHELTER FOR ADULTS  WHICH
   11  IS  CERTIFIED  TO  PROVIDE  SUCH  CARE  AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
   12  SECTION SHALL HAVE TWELVE MONTHS FROM  THE  RECEIPT  OF  SUCH  OPERATING
   13  CERTIFICATE  TO  PHASE  DOWN THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS HOUSED TO ONE HUNDRED
   14  AND TO RELOCATE ANY FACILITY THAT IS NEARER THAN  A  THREE  MILE  RADIUS
   15  FROM  ANY OTHER SUCH FACILITY.  NO SHELTER FOR ADULTS SHALL BE CERTIFIED
   16  TO OPERATE BEYOND DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND  FOURTEEN,  UNLESS
   17  SUCH SHELTER MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
   18    S  3.  The New York state department of family assistance shall make a
   19  report to the legislature and the governor on  or  before  November  10,
   20  2015.  It  shall  contain  such  information concerning how locations to
   21  shelter the homeless are selected by localities and such recommendations
   22  as the commissioner of the office of children and family services  shall
   23  deem necessary or proper.
   24    S 4. This act shall take effect immediately.