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Some youths who have spent time in foster care have difficulty obtaining stable housing; many youths end up “couchsurfing,” in homeless shelters, or in the corrections system. Additionally, according to a report from a local advocacy organization, homeless mothers are more likely to have spent time in foster care. This bill would allow youths who have spent time in foster care to be eligible for rental assistance vouchers that would allow them to obtain stable housing. Eligibility would be limited to those 24 years old or younger.

  • Filed (End of Session)

History

City Council
Filed (End of Session)
Committee on General Welfare
Hearing Held by Committee
Committee on General Welfare
Laid Over by Committee
City Council
Referred to Comm by Council
City Council
Introduced by Council

Int. No. 1597

 

By Council Members Levin, Dromm, Barron, Rose, Johnson, Deutsch, Kallos, Rosenthal, Koslowitz, Vacca, Salamanca, Williams, Richards, Cabrera, Gentile, Garodnick, Mendez, Constantinides, Reynoso, Maisel, Gibson, Perkins, Menchaca, Espinal, Grodenchik, Levine, Chin, Torres, Treyger, Greenfield, Lander, Cohen, Cumbo, Rodriguez and Ulrich

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring that the department of homeless services recognize time spent in foster care as homelessness for the purpose of meeting rental voucher eligibility requirements

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 21 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 21-139 to read as follows:

§ 21-139 Rental assistance for foster care youth. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Foster care youth. The term “foster care youth” means a young person who was placed in an out-of-home placement with the administration for children’s services after the filing of a petition in family court pursuant to article 3, 7, 10, 10-a, 10-b or 10-c of the family court act or section 358-a or 384-b of the social services law.

Rental assistance program. The term “rental assistance program” means any city rental assistance program that is designed to help homeless individuals by subsidizing rent in which the human resources administration or the department of homeless services determines eligibility including, but not limited, to the LINC Rental Assistance Programs for Families with Children as defined in section 7.01 of title 68 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, the LINC Rental Assistance Programs for Single Adults and Adult Families as defined in section 7.10 of title 68 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, the Living in Communities Family and Friend Rental Assistance Program as defined in section 7.18 of title 68 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, the CITYFEPS Programs as defined in section 8.01 8 of title 68 of the New York codes, rules and regulations and the Special Exit and Prevention Supplement Program as defined in section 8.1 of title 68 the New York codes, rules and regulations.

b. Rental assistance program eligibility. For any foster care youth or former foster care youth who is 24 years old or younger, including a foster care youth or former foster care youth adopted or under guardianship at or after the age of 16, the department shall consider the time such youth spent in foster care as homelessness when determining such youth’s eligibility for rental assistance programs when such eligibility is dependent on having spent time residing in the city shelter system.

§ 2. This local law takes effect 120 days after it becomes law, except that the commissioner of homeless services may take such measures as are necessary for the implementation of this local law, including the promulgation of rules, before such date.

 

 

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LS #9351

4/21/2017 9:34 AM