Image credit: New York City Council.
On August 15, 2024, the City Council passed two bills to improve the shelter intake process for families with children.
Int. 123-A prohibits the Department of Homeless Services from requiring children to be present during intake when their family applies or reapplies for placement at a homeless shelter. The bill aims to ease the stress on families when the shelter intake process can involve waiting several hours at the intake facility, which can be very difficult with small children. There is an exception for when the Department of Homeless Services requests to remotely view a child and cannot do so within 24 hours, or when a child has not checked into their shelter by curfew on the day after placement. This bill was sponsored by Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala.
Int. 460-A requires the Department of Homeless Services to report on the feasibility of contracts with community-based organizations to process applications for shelter intakes for families that have children. The results must be compiled into a report for the Mayor and City Council. This bill was sponsored by Council Member Sandra Ung.
Deputy Speaker Ayala stated, “Families experiencing homelessness are already in stressful, difficult situations and we should not add any unnecessary burden when they choose to seek shelter. I know what it’s like to bring your children to an intake center and wait hours for a shelter placement as I did with my one-year-old long ago. Therefore, I’m proud that we are passing Int. 123, which will no longer force parents to have their children physically present with them as they apply for shelter. This will prevent disruptions to schooling and add a bit of relief for families.”
Council Member Ung stated, “For too long, families have been forced to navigate a system that asks them to travel miles with young children, frequently missing work or school, just to reach the PATH intake center in the Bronx. But we know that the first stop for many families in crisis is not PATH, but their local community organizations. These community-based organizations are trusted, they are present where families live, and they are already doing much of the work. They should be empowered to do even more.
By: Veronica Rose (Veronica is the Editor of CityLand and a New York Law School graduate, Class of 2018.)