BILL NUMBER: S3915

SPONSOR: STAVISKY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring family
homeless shelters for ten or more families in the city of New York to
have a working kitchen in each individual housing unit

 
SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: Adds a new section 152-c to the social services law which
requires that in the city of New York, any provider of temporary housing
assistance for ten or more families in a family homeless shelter as
referenced in 18 NYCRR Part 900, requiring a working kitchen in each
individual housing unit.

The kitchen shall be installed within 60 days of the registration of the
contract between the operator of such a family homeless shelter and the
City of New York.

"Working kitchen" shall mean an area in each unit where food can be
              

prepared, cooked and refrigerated and will include at a minimum, a sink,
a refrigerator and a double burner stove.

Failure to meet the requirements will mean that the facility will be
prohibited from accepting any new clients until such requirements are
met.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that as of
November, 2016 there were 86,352 homeless people in New York State. Of
that number, 51,037, or nearly 60%, were families with children.

According to the Department of Homeless Services in New York City, as of
December 14, 2017, more than 60,000 people were in shelters comprised of
more than 40,000 adults and children in family shelters.

In March 2017, the Coalition for the Homeless reported that as of Janu-
ary 2017, there were 62,692 people in shelters and that included 57,677
in family shelters. These statistics demonstrate the need for family
shelters and the need for kitchens.

Some of these homeless shelters have been established in buildings that
were former hotels or motels. These shelters often have a large kitchen
but the kitchen is not available to the residents. Often, all they have
is a small communal microwave oven.

Although food is provided, families often choose to spend their food
dollars on fast food take-out meals because the meals provided are unap-
pealing especially for children. This is an unhealthy and expensive
alternative. It is also unrealistic, disruptive, and possibly dangerous
to expect a mother with an infant or the parent of a small child to go
down to the communal microwave oven area to heat up food for a hungry
child in the middle of the night. Since a parent is responsible for the
supervision of his/her children at all times while in shelter, this
would mean waking other children up to take them along or leaving them
unattended.
Providing small kitchen facilities in each room would be a safer and
healthier alternative for families living in shelters. It is required by
regulations but not by statute. This would remedy this oversight.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2018: S 7181A - referred to Social Services

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None to the state.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it becomes law
provided that, effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made
and complete on or before such effective date.