A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of homeless services to post shelter census data

Int. No. 572-A

By Council Members Crowley, Cabrera, Eugene, Gentile, Koo, Miller, Johnson, Cohen, Cornegy, Mealy, Mendez, Maisel, King, Vallone, Constantinides, Menchaca, Kallos, Palma, Adams and Ulrich

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the department of homeless services to post shelter census data

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 21-322 to read as follows:

§ 21-322 Daily census data. a. Definitions.  For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Adult. The term "adult" means any person who is 18 years of age or older;

Adult family. The term "adult family" means a family comprising adults and no children;

Child. The term "child" means a person under 18 years of age;

Faith bed. The term "faith-bed" means a facility that provides overnight housing to individuals, are affiliated with one or more religious groups, and receive client referrals through organizations under contract with the department;

Family with children. The term "family with children" means a family with at least one adult and at least one child, couples including at least one pregnant woman, single pregnant women, or parents or grandparents with a pregnant individual;

Safe haven. The term "safe haven" means a facility operated by the department or a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department that provides low-threshold, harm-reduction housing to chronic street homeless individuals, who are referred to such facilities through a department outreach program, without the obligation of entering into other supportive and rehabilitative services in order to reduce barriers to temporary housing;

Shelter. The term “shelter” means 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;

Short-term housing for veterans. The term "short-term housing for veterans" means a facility that provide short-term housing for people who actively served in the United States military;

Single adult. The term "single adult" means an adult without an accompanying adult or child.

b. No later than January 31, 2018, and every weekday, Monday through Friday, thereafter, the department shall post on its website a shelter census report for the prior calendar day immediately preceding such weekday, excluding holidays. Such report shall include but not be limited to the following information regarding individuals in shelter each such calendar day:

1. The total number of individuals, disaggregated by the number of adults and the number of children;

2. The number of single adults, disaggregated by the number of single men and the number of single women;

3. The number of families with children, disaggregated by the number of adults in such families with children, the number of children in such families with children, and the total number of individuals comprising such families with children;

4. The number of adult families in shelter, including the total number of individuals comprising such adult families;

5. The following information on single adults, including but not limited to:

(a) The number of individuals in a drop-in center overnight;

(b) The number of individuals in faith-beds;

(c) The number of individuals utilizing safe havens;

(d) The number of individuals in short-term housing for veterans; and

(e) The number of individuals in criminal justice short-term housing.

§ 2. This local law shall take effect immediately.

AV

LS 2681

12/11/17, 7.49pm