Bill Text: NY S04339 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Relates to providing rent subsidies to individuals living with roommates.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Passed) 2019-12-12 - signed chap.624 [S04339 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-S04339-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          4339
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                      March 7, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  providing  rent
          subsidies to individuals living with roommates
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5  of  section  409-a  of  the
     2  social  services  law, as amended by chapter 339 of the laws of 1993, is
     3  amended to read as follows:
     4    (c) Notwithstanding any other  provision  of  this  section,  where  a
     5  social  services  official determines that a lack of adequate housing is
     6  the primary factor preventing the discharge of a child or children  from
     7  foster  care  including,  but  not limited to, children with the goal of
     8  discharge to independent living, preventive services shall  include,  in
     9  addition  to  any  other  payments  or  benefits received by the family,
    10  special cash grants in  the  form  of  rent  subsidies,  including  rent
    11  arrears, or any other assistance, sufficient to obtain adequate housing.
    12  Such  rent  subsidies  or  assistance  shall not exceed the sum of three
    13  hundred dollars per month, shall not be provided for a  period  of  more
    14  than  three  years, and shall be considered a special grant.  Nothing in
    15  this paragraph shall be construed to limit the ability  of  those  using
    16  such  rent  subsidy to live with roommates. The provisions of this para-
    17  graph shall not be construed  to  limit  such  official's  authority  to
    18  provide other preventive services.
    19    §  2.  Subdivision  7  of section 409-a of the social services law, as
    20  added by chapter 83 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
    21    7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section,  if  a  social
    22  services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is a factor
    23  that may cause the entry of a child or children into foster care and the
    24  family  has  at least one service need other than lack of adequate hous-
    25  ing, preventive services may include, in addition to any other  payments
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01054-01-9
        S. 4339                             2
     1  or  benefits  received by the family, special cash grants in the form of
     2  rent subsidies, including rent arrears, or any other assistance,  suffi-
     3  cient  to  obtain  adequate  housing.  Such rent subsidies or assistance
     4  shall  not  exceed the sum of three hundred dollars per month, shall not
     5  be provided for a period of more than three years, and shall be  consid-
     6  ered  a special grant. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to
     7  limit the ability of those using such rent subsidy to  live  with  room-
     8  mates.  The provisions of this paragraph shall not be construed to limit
     9  such official's authority to provide other preventive services.
    10    § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.