Bill Text: NY A02476 | 2021-2022 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Increases the value of rent subsidies included as a part of preventive services from an amount not to exceed three hundred dollars per month to an amount not to exceed six hundred dollars per month.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2021-12-03 - enacting clause stricken [A02476 Detail]

Download: New_York-2021-A02476-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          2476

                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    January 19, 2021
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  M.  of A. HEVESI, DeSTEFANO -- read once and referred to
          the Committee on Children and Families

        AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to  increasing  the
          value  of  rent  subsidies  to  be  included  as  a part of preventive
          services

          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 624 of the laws of  2019,  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  six  hundred  dollars  per  month, shall not be provided for a period of
    14  more than three years, and shall be considered a special grant.  Nothing
    15  in 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  amended by chapter 624 of the laws  of  2019,  is  amended  to  read  as
    21  follows:
    22    7.  Notwithstanding  any  other provision of this section, if a social
    23  services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is a factor
    24  that may cause the entry of a child or children into foster care and the

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD01533-01-1
        A. 2476                             2

     1  family has at least one service need other than lack of  adequate  hous-
     2  ing,  preventive services may include, in addition to any other payments
     3  or benefits received by the family, special cash grants in the  form  of
     4  rent  subsidies, including rent arrears, or any other assistance, suffi-
     5  cient to obtain adequate housing.  Such  rent  subsidies  or  assistance
     6  shall not exceed the sum of [three] six hundred dollars per month, shall
     7  not  be  provided  for  a  period of more than three years, and shall be
     8  considered a  special  grant.  Nothing  in  this  subdivision  shall  be
     9  construed  to limit the ability of those using such rent subsidy to live
    10  with roommates. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be  construed
    11  to limit such official's authority to provide other preventive services.
    12    §  3. This act shall take effect on the first of April next succeeding
    13  the date on which it shall have become a law.