NY State Senate Bill 2017-S8767

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 15, 2018	referred to children and families

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A10734
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Social Services Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §409-a, Soc Serv L
Versions Introduced in 2019-2020 Legislative Session:: S4339, A4258

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to providing rent subsidies to individuals living with roommates.

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S8767

SPONSOR: AVELLA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to providing rent
subsidies to individuals living with roommates

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

This bill will ensure that the child welfare housing subsidy program is
better able to prevent homelessness and address housing instability for
families and youth aging out of foster care.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 and 2 of the bill would allow eligible recipients receiving
the monthly rent subsidy to be able to live with a roommate.

Section 3 would require the bill to take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Housing stability and child welfare are inextricably linked. Research
has shown a higher rate of homelessness among those involved with the
child welfare system than other low-income families and that housing can
be a barrier to reunification. "Homeless families are more likely than
their non-homeless counterparts to be the focus of a child protective
services (CPS) investigation, to have an open child welfare case or to
have a child placed out of the home." Furthermore, as documented in a
recent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) report,
youth who age out of foster care are at a heightened risk of homeless-
ness.

In 1988, New York created the child welfare housing subsidy to help
address homelessness and housing instability for families with open
child welfare cases and youth aging out of foster care. Specifically,
since 1988, the law has authorized local social service districts to
provide eligible families and youth with a housing subsidy of up to $30o
per month for up to 3 years or until reaching the limit of $10,800. The
housing subsidy program is a preventive service, pursuant to State
Social Service law and corresponding regulations.

The goal of the child welfare housing subsidy program is to stabilize
housing situations and prevent homelessness so as to help prevent foster
care placements, expedite reunification, and help youth aging out of
foster care. Thus, families with open CPS investigations, families
receiving preventive services, families where children are reunifying
from foster care, and youth ages 18-21 have been eligible for the hous-
ing subsidy.

For families, and even more so for youth, the high cost of housing and
the benefit of living with others, often leads most New Yorkers to have
roommates. This bill makes it clear that those receiving the child
welfare housing subsidy can also have unrelated roommates.  In summary,
this step would go a long way towards helping to address the homeless
crisis, and will strengthen and support families involved with the child
welfare system and youth aging out of foster care.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

This is new legislation.

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the State.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall be effective immediately.

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8767
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               May 15, 2018
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  AVELLA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Children and Families
 
 AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  providing  rent
   subsidies to individuals living with roommates
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5  of  section  409-a  of  the
 social  services  law, as amended by chapter 339 of the laws of 1993, is
 amended to read as follows:
   (c) Notwithstanding any other  provision  of  this  section,  where  a
 social  services  official determines that a lack of adequate housing is
 the primary factor preventing the discharge of a child or children  from
 foster  care  including,  but  not limited to, children with the goal of
 discharge to independent living, preventive services shall  include,  in
 addition  to  any  other  payments  or  benefits received by the family,
 special cash grants in  the  form  of  rent  subsidies,  including  rent
 arrears, or any other assistance, sufficient to obtain adequate housing.
 Such  rent  subsidies  or  assistance  shall not exceed the sum of three
 hundred dollars per month, shall not be provided for a  period  of  more
 than  three  years, and shall be considered a special grant.  NOTHING IN
 THIS PARAGRAPH SHALL BE CONSTRUED TO LIMIT THE ABILITY  OF  THOSE  USING
 SUCH  RENT  SUBSIDY TO LIVE WITH ROOMMATES. The provisions of this para-
 graph shall not be construed  to  limit  such  official's  authority  to
 provide other preventive services.
   §  2.  Subdivision  7  of section 409-a of the social services law, as
 added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
   7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,  if  a  social
 services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is a factor
 that may cause the entry of a child or children into foster care and the
 family  has  at least one service need other than lack of adequate hous-
 ing, preventive services may include, in addition to any other  payments
 or  benefits  received by the family, special cash grants in the form of
 rent subsidies, including rent arrears, or any other assistance,  suffi-
 cient  to  obtain  adequate  housing.  Such rent subsidies or assistance
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets

                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15656-01-8

 S. 8767                             2
 
 shall not exceed the sum of three hundred dollars per month,  shall  not
 be  provided for a period of more than three years, and shall be consid-
 ered a special grant. NOTHING IN THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL BE CONSTRUED  TO
 LIMIT  THE  ABILITY  OF THOSE USING SUCH RENT SUBSIDY TO LIVE WITH ROOM-
 MATES. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to  limit
 such official's authority to provide other preventive services.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

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2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Tony Avella

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Actions

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Details

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2017-S8767 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments