What's happening
This bill directs the Department of Social Services to create a centralized data system for agencies to share information on chronic homelessness and connect individuals to services.
Why it matters
Facilitates real-time coordination among agencies. By enabling various public entities (law enforcement, courts, schools, emergency services) to share and access information, the system could help identify individuals in need more quickly and direct them to appropriate support, potentially reducing gaps in care.
Targets chronic homelessness specifically. The focus on chronic homelessness—those experiencing long-term or repeated homelessness—means the system aims to help individuals who often have the most complex needs and are the hardest to serve using existing approaches.
Supports data-driven decision making. Collecting, aggregating, and analyzing data across agencies could uncover trends and service gaps, helping policymakers and providers allocate resources more effectively and measure what interventions work.
Requires collaboration and safeguards. Agencies will need to enter into data-sharing agreements, raising important considerations about privacy, consent, and data security for a vulnerable population, while also fostering deeper collaboration between state and local partners.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Centralize Homelessness Data System
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to social services
- Referred to social services
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
891
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to directing the department of social services to establish a centralized homelessness crisis response data system
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 20 of the social services law is amended by adding a new subdivision 9 to read as follows:
9. (a) The department shall establish a centralized homelessness crisis response data system through which state agencies, local governmental entities, including law enforcement agencies, court systems, school districts, and emergency service providers, and other relevant persons, as determined by the department, are able to share and access information related to individuals who experience chronic homelessness in order to connect or refer such individuals to services including affordable housing opportunities.
(b) In developing such centralized homelessness crisis response data system the department shall:
(i) consult with the entities described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision to determine the challenges faced by such entities in addressing chronic homelessness and how best to improve the response to those challenges; and
(ii) enter into data sharing agreements as necessary for the exchange of information relating to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness through the centralized homelessness crisis response data system.
(c) The centralized homelessness crisis response data system established under this section shall:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02279-01-5
(i) to the extent permitted by a data sharing agreement, collect data from other homeless crisis response systems maintained or operated by other state entities; and
(ii) collect, aggregate, analyze and share homelessness information submitted to the centralized homelessness crisis response data system with entities that have access to the system pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to directing the department of social services to establish a centralized homelessness crisis response data system
Purpose
This bill intends to establish a centralized homelessness crisis response data system through which state agencies, local governmental entities, including law enforcement agencies, court systems, school districts, and emergency service providers, and other relevant persons are able to share and access information related to individuals which experience chronic homelessness in order to connect or refer those indi- viduals to critical state and local services.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 establishes a centralized homelessness crisis response data system through which multiple state entities shall enter into a data sharing agreement as necessary for the exchange of information related to chronic homelessness system. This data system will collect, aggre- gate, analyze, and share information submitted for the purpose of connecting and referring individuals to services including affordable housing opportunities.
Section 2 states the act shall take effect immediately after the signing of this bill into law.
Justification
Preventing and combating homelessness depends on a coordinated Continuum of Care (CoC) on the ground locally, sharing information across dispa- rate systems, and collaborating with the public, nonprofit, philanthrop- ic, and private sector partners. The systems that collect this informa- tion today (i.e., homelessness services, electronic health records, education, and criminal justice information systems) were designed inde- pendently to address particular applications and are managed by differ- ent entities with separate IT systems and governance.
The disparate nature of these systems limits a community's ability to identify trends or emerging needs, measure internal performance goals, and make data driven decisions about the effective deployment of limited resources. With the shift in recent years to whole person care, there is increasing demand to connect these disparate systems to affect better outcomes.
New York State is home to approximately seventeen percent of the nation's homeless population with over 91,000 individuals experiencing homelessness, whether sheltered or curb-sheltered, on any given night. Of those individuals experiencing homelessness, eighty-five percent of them are living in New York City. New York's homeless population is managed across twenty-six CoCs, most all with their own population data, information management systems and points-of-contact.
Connecting New York's homelessness data across disparate systems in a coordinated and fluid manner is critical to achieving an effective deployment of resources in an effort to affect better outcomes for New York's substantial homeless population. A centralized homelessness crisis response data system represents a dynamic and agile means to addressing one of New York State's longstanding social issues.
Legislative history
S.472 of 2023-2024; Referred to Social Services;
S.2109 of 2021-22, Referred to Social Services;
S.8222 of 2020, Referred to Social Services;
A.8252 of 2019, Referred to Social Services
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.