Int 0943-2023

Be it enacted by the Council as follows: Section 1. The New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 18-a to read as follows: � 18-a Notification of the right to be placed in shelter. a. Definitions. For the purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings: Emergency congregate housing. The term "emergency congregate housing" means any location operated by a city agency or a provider under contract or similar agreement with a city agency, except for any location operated by the department of social services or provider under contract or similar agreement with the department of social services, where individuals and families reside for more than 96 hours where such individuals and families sleep in a congregate setting with shared facilities, including but not limited to, sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Shelter. The term "shelter" means a facility operated by the department of social services or a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department of social services. b. The mayor or the mayor's designee shall provide written and verbal notification, as provided in this subdivision, to individuals and families, immediately upon such individual or families' entry into emergency congregate housing. Such notification shall be communicated in an easily understandable and culturally competent manner and shall be made available in the language spoken by the individual or family. Such notification shall include but not be limited to the following: (1) The right to be placed in a shelter within 24 hours of an individual or families' request to be placed in a shelter; and (2) The right to be provided with transportation to such shelter. c. If the department of social services fails to meet its obligations to place an individual or family in a shelter within 24 hours of their request to be placed in a shelter, the department of social services shall be required to report such failure to the mayor, the speaker of the council, and the public advocate within one calendar day of having knowledge of such failure. � 2. This local law takes effect immediately. ACK LS# 10903 2/27/2023 2 4