A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services and the Human Resources Administration to track and report certain data regarding rental assistance programs.

Int. No. 1020

By Council Members Ampry-Samuel, Rosenthal and Adams

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring the Department of Homeless Services and the Human Resources Administration to track and report certain data regarding rental assistance programs.

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 21-323 to read as follows:

                     §21-323.  a. Definitions.  For the purposes of this section, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

                     1. “Family Homelessness & Eviction Prevention Supplement (FHEPS)” shall mean the housing subsidy that is provided to eligible homeless families who are facing eviction for non-payment of rent.

                     2.  “Household” shall mean a single individual or family, including couples

without dependent children who, or which, are eligible to receive transitional housing or services from the department of homeless services or the human resources administration pursuant to federal, state and local laws and such rules and regulations as may be promulgated pursuant thereto.

                     b. Quarterly Reports Regarding Rental Assistance Programs.  Beginning no later than January 1, 2019 and no later than the last day of the month following each calendar quarter thereafter, the commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of the human resources administration/department of social services, shall submit to the speaker of the city council, and shall make available on its website, a machine-readable report that includes, at a minimum, the following information, disaggregated by families, families with children, adult families, and single adults:

                     1.  Family Homelessness & Eviction Prevention Supplement.  The following information regarding the FHEPS program shall be included in the quarterly report:

(a) the number of households that are currently enrolled in the program, including (i) the number that receive public assistance, (ii) the number that have employment income, as well as their average and median incomes and average and median number of hours worked per week, (iii) their average and median monthly rent, (iv) the average and median monthly subsidy provided by the program, (v) the number still residing in the housing unit in which they were living upon the start of their enrollment in the program, (vi) the number that have a head of household receiving a federal disability benefit, as well as their average and median household income, (vii) the number who are needed at home to care for another household member receiving a federal disability benefit, as well as their average and median household income;

(b) the number of households that were previously enrolled in the program, including the number that (i) no longer receive the subsidy, (ii) no longer receive the subsidy and completed at least five years of the program, (iii) are still residing in the housing unit in which they were living upon the start of their enrollment in the program, (iv) have applied for shelter, (v) have returned to shelter after having been enrolled for any length of time, (vi) have returned to shelter after having been enrolled in the program for at least five years.

2. Rental Assistance Program for Homeless Individuals and Families. The following information regarding any city-subsidized rental assistance program for homeless individuals and families shall be included in the quarterly report:

 (a) the number of households that are currently enrolled in the program, including (i) the number that receive public assistance, (ii) the number that have employment income, as well as their average and median incomes and average and median number of hours worked per week, (iii) their average and median monthly rent, (iv) the average and median monthly subsidy provided by the program, (v) the number still residing in the housing unit in which they were living upon the start of their enrollment in the program, (vi) the number that have a head of household receiving a federal disability benefit, as well as their average and median household income, (vii) the number who are needed at home to care for another household member receiving a federal disability benefit, as well as their average and median household income;

                     (b) the number of households that were previously enrolled in the program, including the number that (i) no longer receive the subsidy, (ii) no longer receive the subsidy and received the subsidy for the maximum period of time allowed under such program, (iii) are still residing in the housing unit in which they were living upon the start of their enrollment in the program, (iv) have applied for shelter, (v) have returned to shelter after having been enrolled for any length of time, (vi) have returned to shelter after having been enrolled in the program for the maximum period of time allowed under such program.

§3.  This local law takes effect immediately.

AV / ACK

LS # 6666

5/18/2018 4:05pm