S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   1775
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             January 17, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- 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:

   Section  1.  Legislative  intent. Because certain local governments in
 New York state have not developed a comprehensive plan for dealing  with
 the homeless, they have started the practice of sheltering large numbers
 of  the  homeless in large, single sites that often do not meet building
 codes. This practice does not benefit either  the  homeless  themselves,
 because proper services do not reach them, or the community in which the
 shelter  is  located,  because  its  resources  are  strained past their
 limits.
   The problem of this practice of warehousing is compounded when instead
 of distributing smaller shelters equally to  all  communities  within  a
 locality,  a  few  communities  are  forced  to  provide  shelter  for a
 disproportionate number of the homeless.  A  great  deal  of  stress  is
 placed on the affected community by the presence of people who are not a
 natural part of the community's life. Furthermore, the community's abil-
 ity  to  deliver  services,  such  as  health  care  and  rehabilitative
 services, to large numbers of people is usually limited.
   Cities in New York must develop a plan for the equitable  distribution
 of  the homeless population among its communities. For instance, each of
 New York city's fifty-nine community boards would  be  held  responsible
 for at least one facility in its geographic district which would provide
 services  and  shelter  for  approximately  one  hundred homeless men or
 women.
   § 2. The social services law is amended by adding a new section  461-u
 to read as follows:
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD04627-01-9
              

 A. 1775                             2
 
   §  461-U.  SPECIAL  STANDARDS FOR SHELTERS FOR ADULTS. ANY SHELTER FOR
 ADULTS, AS DEFINED IN SECTION TWO OF THIS CHAPTER, WHICH IS CERTIFIED TO
 PROVIDE, PURSUANT TO THIS ARTICLE,  TEMPORARY  RESIDENTIAL  SERVICES  TO
 ADULTS  OR  ANY FACILITY WHICH IS OPERATED BY A MUNICIPALITY OR NOT-FOR-
 PROFIT  CORPORATION FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING SHELTER AND SERVICES TO
 HOMELESS SINGLE ADULTS SHALL, NO  LATER  THAN  TWELVE  MONTHS  FROM  THE
 EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION, LIMIT THE SIZE OF ALL NEW SHELTER FACIL-
 ITIES  TO  ONE  HUNDRED CLIENTS PER FACILITY AND RESTRICT THE GEOGRAPHIC
 PLACEMENT OF EVERY FACILITY TO NO NEARER THAN A DISTANCE OF A THREE MILE
 RADIUS FROM ANY OTHER FACILITY. ANY SHELTER FOR ADULTS WHICH  IS  CERTI-
 FIED TO PROVIDE SUCH CARE AFTER THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION SHALL
 HAVE  TWELVE  MONTHS  FROM  THE RECEIPT OF SUCH OPERATING CERTIFICATE TO
 PHASE DOWN THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS HOUSED TO ONE HUNDRED AND  TO  RELOCATE
 ANY FACILITY THAT IS NEARER THAN A THREE MILE RADIUS FROM ANY OTHER SUCH
 FACILITY.    NO  SHELTER FOR ADULTS SHALL BE CERTIFIED TO OPERATE BEYOND
 DECEMBER THIRTY-FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY, UNLESS  SUCH  SHELTER  MEETS
 THE REQUIREMENTS OF THIS SECTION.
   §  3.  The New York state department of family assistance shall make a
 report to the legislature and the governor on  or  before  November  10,
 2019.  It  shall  contain  such  information concerning how locations to
 shelter the homeless are selected by localities and such recommendations
 as the commissioner of the office of children and family services  shall
 deem necessary or proper.
   § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.