Bill Text: NY S06214 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended
Bill Title: Relates to providing veterans' housing; requires state agencies that provide shelter to homeless veterans to do so based on federal housing first principles without preconditions or barriers.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-03 - REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY AFFAIRS [S06214 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S06214-Amended.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6214--A 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 11, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sens. PARKER, SQUADRON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Home- land Security and Military Affairs -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit- tee AN ACT to amend the executive law, the social services law, and the mental hygiene law, in relation to providing veterans' housing The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 354-e 2 to read as follows: 3 § 354-e. Veterans' housing. 1. For purposes of this section, the 4 following terms shall have the following meanings: a. "Veteran" means a 5 resident of this state, who has served in the active military, naval or 6 air service of the United States or the national guard and who has been 7 released from such service without regard to the duration of service or 8 manner of discharge, or citizenship; 9 b. "Transitional housing" means temporary housing for veterans and 10 shall include bridge housing and service-intensive transitional housing. 11 c. "Bridge housing" means transitional housing in which a veteran may 12 await permanent housing placement. No veteran shall be required to spend 13 more than ninety days in bridge housing. 14 d. "Service-intensive housing" means transitional housing in which 15 veterans are provided support and resources to actively seek permanent 16 housing. Service-intensive housing shall provide veterans with general- 17 ized case-management, clinically appropriate care, and job training. 18 e. "Permanent housing" means long-term housing and shall not include 19 bridge housing or service-intensive housing. Permanent housing may be 20 supported through a local, state, or federal housing program. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11447-02-7S. 6214--A 2 1 f. "Homeless" means a person who is undomiciled or unsheltered, and is 2 unable to secure permanent or stable housing without special assistance, 3 as determined by the division. 4 g. "Housing first principles" means the approach articulated by the 5 United States department of housing and urban development that prior- 6 itizes placement of homeless individuals in housing without precondi- 7 tions and barriers to entry, such as sobriety, treatment or service 8 participation requirements. 9 2. In consultation with the division of housing and community renewal, 10 the office for temporary disability assistance, the office of mental 11 health, and the office for alcoholism and substance abuse, the division 12 shall ensure that homeless veterans are housed according to federal 13 housing first principles. 14 3. The division shall provide immediate housing to every homeless 15 veteran who requests to be housed. Such housing may be transitional 16 housing or permanent housing and shall not be contingent on sobriety, 17 minimum income requirements, absence of a criminal record, or any other 18 conditions deemed unnecessary by the state director. Long-term service- 19 intensive housing shall only be provided in limited instances and only 20 when the veteran specifically chooses to remain in service-intensive 21 housing despite the availability of permanent housing. Any veteran who 22 chooses long-term service-intensive housing shall be provided a monthly 23 review of all available services and housing options. Absent a veteran's 24 choice to remain in service-intensive housing, all homeless veterans 25 shall be placed in permanent housing at the first available opportunity 26 using federal housing first principles. 27 4. The division shall prepare and publish an annual report on its 28 website detailing the resources, plans, partnerships, and system capaci- 29 ty for housing homeless veterans. The report shall identify all sources 30 of data upon which it relied and shall contain recommendations on how to 31 better provide housing and related services to homeless veterans. 32 § 2. Section 353 of the executive law is amended by adding a new 33 subdivision 7-c to read as follows: 34 7-c. The division shall consult with the division of housing and 35 community renewal, the office of temporary disability assistance, the 36 office of mental health, and the office of alcoholism and substance 37 abuse to provide housing services to homeless veterans pursuant to 38 section three hundred fifty-four-e of this article. The division may 39 consult with members of the community devoted to helping veterans obtain 40 housing, employment and general services for the same purpose. 41 § 3. Section 20 of the social services law is amended by adding a new 42 subdivision 9 to read as follows: 43 9. The office of temporary and disability assistance shall consult 44 with the state director of the division of veterans affairs, the commis- 45 sioner of the division of housing and community renewal, the commission- 46 er of the office of temporary disability assistance, the commissioner of 47 the office of mental health, and the commissioner of the office of alco- 48 holism and substance abuse to provide housing services to homeless 49 veterans pursuant to section three hundred fifty-four-e of the executive 50 law. 51 § 4. Section 7.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new 52 subdivision (g) to read as follows: 53 (g) The office shall consult with the state director of the division 54 of veterans affairs, the commissioner of the division of housing and 55 community renewal, the commissioner of the office of temporary disabili- 56 ty assistance, and the commissioner of the office of alcoholism andS. 6214--A 3 1 substance abuse to provide housing services to homeless veterans pursu- 2 ant to section three hundred fifty-four-e of the executive law. 3 § 5. Section 19.07 of the mental hygiene law is amended by adding a 4 new subdivision (l) to read as follows: 5 (l) The office shall consult with the state director of the division 6 of veterans affairs, the commissioner of the division of housing and 7 community renewal, the commissioner of the office of temporary disabili- 8 ty assistance, and the commissioner of the office of mental health to 9 provide housing services to homeless veterans pursuant to section three 10 hundred fifty-four-e of the executive law. 11 § 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
