Res 0210-2014

By Council Member Wills Whereas, The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) shelter system currently houses 12,641 families and 52,146 total individuals; and Whereas, The average length of stay in shelter is 293 days for individuals, 469 days for adult families, and 375 days for families with children; and Whereas, According to the New York City Coalition for the Homeless, it costs roughly $36,000 per year to provide a homeless family with temporary shelter; and Whereas, DHS's proposed 2014 budget was $918.5 million, with much of this funding allocated for shelter intake and operations; and Whereas, According to DHS, in August 2013 roughly 10 percent of families and 17 percent of single adults who entered the shelter system were from an area outside of New York City; and Whereas, By entering the DHS shelter system, these individuals and families place a financial burden upon the City of New York, as opposed to their own home city or state; and Whereas, DHS offers some programs aimed at individuals and families with strong ties to areas outside of New York, such as Project Reconnect, which purchases one-way plane tickets for homeless individuals and families to other states and municipalities; and Whereas, However, there is no publicly available data on the scope and efficacy of Project Reconnect; and Whereas, Project Reconnect further displaces families and individuals already in turmoil, and still has a significant impact on City finances; and Whereas, New York City faces record levels of homelessness, and by many estimations is in the midst of a homeless crisis; and Whereas, Homeless individuals and families from outside of New York City place a considerable financial strain on the City's finances, and comprise a significant portion of the City's total homeless population; and Whereas, Therefore, New York City should be able to share the financial burden for providing those individuals with shelter with the states and municipalities of their origin; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature and the Governor to explore the possibility of charging other states and municipalities to recover the costs of housing homeless people who relocate to New York City. PD LS #911 4/2/14 1