Amends the definition of "homeless youth" to include persons under the age of 25

These amendments also raise the upper level of the age of homeless youth eligible for transitional independent living support programs from twenty-one to twenty-five so that youth up to the age of twenty-five may progress from crisis care and transitional care to independent living.

Section 3 of the proposal amends Section 532-b of the executive law, for purposes of Article 19-A, to conform to the definitional change of "homeless youth" made in Sections 1 and 2. This would permit approved runaway programs to provide assistance to homeless youth or youth in need of crisis intervention or respite services between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, up from sixteen and twenty-two.

Section 4 of the proposal amends Section 532-d of the executive law, for purposes of Article 19-A, to conform to the definitional change of "homeless youth" made in Sections 1 and 2. This would permit residential facilities operating as transitional independent living support programs to provide shelter to homeless youth between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, up from sixteen and twenty-two.

Section 5 and 6 of the proposal amend section 420 of the executive law to conform to the definitional change of "homeless youth" made in Sections 1 and 2.

Section 7 of the proposal provides that the law shall take effect on the one hundred and twentieth day after it shall have become a law.

Justification

The age limit for runaway and homeless youth in New York State, for purposes of shelter and transitional housing is 21 years presently. However, the current Federal Blueprint to end Youth Homelessness defines homeless youths as under age 25. Furthermore, over the past couple of years, states such as Massachusetts, California, Texas, Minnesota and Washington have defined the age of homeless youths as up to 24 years.

Many homeless youths in New York State between the ages of 21 and 25 are afraid to access adult homeless shelters provided by the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). These youths report experiencing violence and harassment in the adult shelters currently offered by DHS. The fear of violence, bullying and sexual assaults in adult shelters causes these youths to brave the uncertainty and safety risk of sleeping in the streets and in the subways. This results in a vicious and chronic cycle of adult homelessness, which destroys their lives and is ultimately costly to the state. These youth report feeling much safer in the shelters mandated by the Office of Children and Families under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act.

Aligning New York State's definition of runaway and homeless youth with the Federal Blueprint definition to include youth under age 25 would not only help prevent vulnerable youth from being chronically homeless, it would also enable our state's ability to access federal funding for which we may otherwise not be eligible.

This proposal is the right thing to do and makes economic sense.

Legislative history

New bill.

Fiscal implications for state and local governments

To be determined, but expecting Federal funding based on alignment of runaway and homeless youth age with federal blueprint definition.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the one hundred and twentieth day after it shall have become a law, with the commissioner of children and family services authorized and directed to promulgate any rules necessary to implement the provisions of the act on or before the effective date.