What's happening
This bill requires the New York City Planning Commission to regulate new, expanded, or changed social services facilities, considering neighborhood impact and facility types.
Why it matters
Expands oversight to a wide range of social service facilities. The bill mandates city planning review for new, expanded, or changed facilities, explicitly covering those run or contracted by multiple agencies (e.g., ACS, DHS, DYCD, HPD, HRA), not just traditional shelters but also supportive and transitional housing.
Requires consideration of neighborhood context and property values. The Planning Commission must weigh the character and suitability of neighborhoods, as well as property value impacts, before approving such facilities, potentially influencing where services get located and addressing community concerns.
Introduces lease renewal scrutiny. The commission’s purview extends beyond new placements to include the impact of social service facilities when leases are renewed, possibly affecting long-term stability and continuity of services.
Could affect service availability and equity. By adding layers of review and considering local impact, the bill may slow or redirect the siting of social services, which could have consequences for timely access and the equitable distribution of services across the city.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Review All New Facilities
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to cities
- Referred to cities
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2381
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 24, 2019
Introduced by Sens. COMRIE, ADDABBO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to review and approval of all new facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 25-111-a to read as follows:
§ 25-111-a City planning commission to regulate the types of social services facilities. a. The city planning commission shall regulate and restrict requests by an agency to provide services at a new location as a social services facility, to expand the size of an existing social services facility or to change the type of services provided at an existing social services facility, including such facilities where the leaseholder is not the tenant.
b. For the purposes of this section, "social services facility" shall include the following:
1. ACS placement facilities. "ACS placement facilities" means facilities, certified by the New York state office of children and family services, for the care of youth placed in accordance with the provisions of the family court act and the regulations of the New York state office of children and family services, managed directly by the administration for children's services or under contract or similar agreement with the administration for children's services.
2. City-administered facilities. "City-administered facilities" means hotels, shelters and other accommodations or associated services, managed by or provided under contract or similar agreement with any city agency, provided to individuals or families who need temporary emergency housing or assistance finding or maintaining stable housing.
3. DHS-administered facilities. "DHS-administered facilities" means city-administered facilities managed directly by the department of home-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02908-01-9
S. 2381 2
less services or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department of homeless services.
4. DYCD-administered facilities. "DYCD-administered facilities" means city-administered facilities managed directly by the department of youth and community development or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department of youth and community development.
5. HPD-administered facilities. "HPD-administered facilities" means city-administered facilities managed directly by the department of housing preservation and development or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with the department of housing preservation and development.
6. HRA-administered facilities. "HRA-administered facilities" means city-administered facilities managed directly by the human resources administration or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with the human resources administration, excluding shelters for victims of domestic violence managed directly by the human resources administration or by a provider under contract or similar agreement with the human resources administration.
7. Supportive housing facilities. "Supportive housing facilities" means affordable, independent, and permanent housing with support services for tenants, including but not limited to people who have been homeless, have histories of substance abuse, are coping with mental illness, have chronic illnesses such as HIV/AIDS, are young adults aging out of foster care, are homeless veterans, or grandparents raising grandchildren, and is under contract with a city agency including but not limited to the department of health and mental hygiene and the human resources administration.
c. The commission shall consider the anticipated impact of the proposed social services facility or the operation of such facility upon renewal of the lease.
d. The commission shall give reasonable consideration, among other things, to the character of the neighborhood, its peculiar suitability for particular uses, the conservation of property values, and the location of social services facilities in accord with a well-considered plan.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to review and approval of all new facilities
Purpose
Requires the New York City Planning Commission to approve and regulate the types of social services facilities throughout the city.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends the Administrative Code of the City of New York by adding a new section 25111a stating the City Planning Commission shall regulate and restrict requests by an agency to provide services at.a new location as a social services facility, to expand the size of an exist- ing social services facility or to change the type of services provided at an existing social services facility, including such facilities where the leaseholder is not the tenant. This section includes definitions for social services facilities. The City Planning Commissioner shall consid- er the anticipated impact of the proposed social services facility or the operation of the facility upon lease renewal and shall give reason- able consideration, among other things, to the character of the neigh- borhood, its peculiar suitability for particular issues, the conserva- tion of property values, and the location of social services facilities in accord with a well-considered plan.
Section 2 provides that this act shall take effect on the 90th day after it has been signed into law.
Justification
Property owners in the vicinity of proposed or existing supportive hous- ing sites are often unaware of the sponsoring agency's intent to estab- lish or transform a facility. There are certain areas of the city that are oversaturated with facilities while other areas have none,ò creating a huge rift among these agencies and the communities they serve. Often times, agency officials do not take into account public sentiment from hearings. There are also known cases where agencies will repurpose buildings and change the definitions of supportive housing to meet those needs. Giving power to the City Planning Commission to review and approve each siting will alleviate public concerns and take into account suitability uses, conservation of property values and make sure the location for a siting falls within a well-considered plan. It has been demonstrated that agencies often times have a complete lack of regard for the residents living in these communities and delegating that task to a neutral third party who can objectively review.the facts of the case seems to be the only viable option to ensure that resident concerns are adequately taken into account.
Legislative history
2015-16: S.7888 | Referred to Cities. 2017-18: S.1900 | Referred to Cities.
Fiscal implications
None to the State.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.