A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to provide community notification.

Int. No. 320

By Council Members Chin, Gibson, King, Koo, Mealy, Rose, Rosenthal, Rodriguez and Miller

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services to provide community notification.

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 3 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-316 to read as follows:

                     § 21-316 Community notification. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section the following terms shall have the following meanings:

                     1. “Community board” shall mean the group of persons that represent the interests of a community district as defined by section 2800 of the charter of the city of New York.

                     2. “Transitional housing” shall mean temporary emergency housing provided to homeless adults, adult families, and families with children by the department or a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department.

b. When the department intends to use a new location as transitional housing for eligible homeless families and individuals, expand an existing location where transitional housing is provided, or convert transitional housing for families to transitional housing for single adults at an existing location where transitional housing is provided, the commissioner shall provide notification in writing as follows:

1. The notification shall be provided to the council member in whose district the transitional housing will be located or where the transitional housing for families that will be converted to transitional housing for single adults is located and to the community board for the community district in which the transitional housing will be located or where the transitional housing for families that will be converted to transitional housing for single adults is located; and

2. The notification shall include the address of the transitional housing, the number of people who will be housed, the name of the person or entity operating the transitional housing, the name of any organization, whether for-profit or not-for-profit, that will be providing services to the occupants of the transitional housing, the type of transitional housing, a description of the services that will be provided; and

3. The notification shall be provided thirty days before the department enters into a contractual arrangement or similar agreement with a transitional housing provider or otherwise finalizes its decision to use or expand a location as transitional housing or converts transitional housing for families to transitional housing for single adults at an existing location where transitional housing is provided.

c. Prior to the department finalizing the contractual arrangement or similar agreement with a transitional housing provider or otherwise finalizing its decision to use or expand a location as transitional housing or converting transitional housing for families to transitional housing for single adults at an existing location where transitional housing is provided the department, at the discretion of the community board for the community district in which the transitional housing will be located,  shall hold a public hearing with such community board.  For transitional housing sited pursuant to an emergency contract the department is not required to hold such a hearing.

d. This section shall apply to any transitional housing facility operated or contracted for, by or on behalf of the department, regardless of its size and capacity.

§3.  This local law shall take effect immediately.

AV

LS 823

03/10/14