What's happening
This bill requires family homeless shelters in New York City housing ten or more families to provide a working kitchen in every unit.
Why it matters
Supports family autonomy and dignity. By requiring each unit to have its own kitchen, the bill enables families in shelters to prepare their own meals, accommodating dietary restrictions, cultural preferences, and family routines—key for maintaining normalcy during a disruptive period.
Sets enforceable standards and consequences. The bill not only mandates kitchens but also prohibits shelters from accepting new clients if they don’t comply, giving the requirement real teeth and likely leading to improved living conditions.
Provides a clear, minimum definition of a “working kitchen”. By specifying that each kitchen must have a sink, refrigerator, and double burner stove, the bill ensures shelters can’t meet the requirement with bare-minimum or inadequate facilities, promoting a consistent baseline of functionality.
May drive significant operational changes and investments. Shelters will need to make potentially costly upgrades within a tight sixty-day window after their city contract is registered, which could require new funding, construction, and oversight, possibly affecting shelter capacity and service delivery in the short term.
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Who cares
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Require Kitchens in Shelter Units
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require Kitchens in Family Shelters
In Senate Committee · Social Services · Sponsor Toby Ann Stavisky
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1465
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. D. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to requiring family homeless shelters for ten or more families in the city of New York to have a working kitchen in each individual housing unit
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section 152-c to read as follows:
§ 152-c. On-site working kitchens. In the city of New York any provider of temporary housing assistance for ten or more families in a family homeless shelter shall be required to have a working kitchen in each individual housing unit. Such "working kitchen" shall be installed within sixty days of the registration of the contract between the operator of such family homeless shelter and the city of New York. For the purposes of this section, "working kitchen" shall mean an area in each individual housing unit where food can be prepared and cooked. Such working kitchen shall include, at a minimum, a sink, a refrigerator and a double burner stove. If a provider of temporary family housing shelter fails to meet the requirements set out in this section, it shall be prohibited from accepting any new clients until such requirements are met.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01024-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.