Council Overrides Mayor’s Veto on Legislation to Address Homelessness Crisis by Helping New Yorkers Move Out of Shelter and Avoid Evictions with CityFHEPS Vouchers

 

Council also votes on legislation from Mental Health Roadmap, bills to protect New Yorkers against lead, provide pathways to civil service for justice-involved New Yorkers, and preserve access to gender affirming care    

The New York City Council overwhelmingly voted, 42-8, to override the Mayor’s veto of the Council’s legislation to address record homelessness and the eviction crisis by reforming the CityFHEPS rental assistance voucher program. The four-bill legislative package will not only help New Yorkers move out of shelters, but also prevent evictions of the lowest income New Yorkers most at risk of homelessness from entering the shelter system. At a time of record homelessness and when the number of eviction notices in the City has exceeded 178,000, these bills remove barriers to CityFHEPS vouchers to help low-income New Yorkers facing homelessness and housing insecurity. Fiscal cost analyses from Women in Need (WIN) and the Community Service Society of New York (CSSNY) projected that the bills would save the City over $730 million in costs from homelessness and its various impacts on New Yorkers.

In addition, the Council voted on legislation from the Council’s Mental Health Roadmap, as well as bills to protect New Yorkers against lead exposure, provide pathways to civil service for justice-involved New Yorkers, preserve access to gender affirming care, ensure housing placement transparency for transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary or intersex individuals in Department of Correction (DOC) custody, and to create mile markers in the Rockaways in Queens. 

“New York City is in the midst of an intense eviction crisis that risks pushing more people into homelessness,” said Speaker Adrienne Adams. “These bills are aimed at removing barriers faced by the lowest income New Yorkers to accessing vouchers that can help them avoid losing their homes and becoming unhoused. During a time of record homelessness, it is critical that we respond with the urgency and strength needed to address the scale of this crisis. I am proud of this Council for its commitment to advancing these solutions today, and we will need to do far more to address the housing crisis. New Yorkers and our city need us to do this.”

Overriding Mayoral Veto of CityFHEPS Voucher Legislation

Introduction 878-A, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, would remove shelter stay as a precondition to CityFHEPS eligibility. This would end the 90-day rule, reduce length of stay in the shelter system, and prevent new shelter entrants. 

Introduction 893-A, sponsored by Council Member Pierina Sanchez, would remove certain Department of Social Services (DSS)’ criteria that determines eligibility for CityFHEPS and give New Yorkers the ability to demonstrate risk of eviction by presenting a rent demand letter.   

Introduction 894-A, sponsored by Council Member Pierina Sanchez, would change the eligibility for a CityFHEPS voucher from 200 percent of the federal poverty level to 50 percent of the area median income and ease work and source of income requirements that make it difficult for individuals to pursue employment and housing concurrently.

Introduction 229-A, sponsored by Council Member Tiffany Cabán, would prohibit the Department of Social Services from deducting a utility allowance from the maximum amount of a CityFHEPS voucher except in limited circumstances.

Mental Health Roadmap Legislation

Introduction 1018-A, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would require the Mayor’s Office of Community Mental Health (OCMH), in conjunction with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), the New York City Police Department (NYPD), the New York City Fire Department (FDNY), and other agencies, to provide an annual report to the Council with information regarding involuntary removals conducted pursuant to Mental Hygiene Law Sections 9.41 and 9.58.

Introduction 1019-A, sponsored by Council Member Linda Lee, would require OCMH to maintain access to an interactive map of the locations, contact information, and payment information (including type of insurance accepted) of mental health services providers.

Introduction 1021-A, sponsored by Majority Leader Keith Powers, would require the Mayor to establish four new crisis respite centers to provide individuals with mental illness increased access to community-based, peer-run facilities that are alternatives to hospitalization when such individuals experience psychiatric care.

Introduction 1022-A, sponsored by Council Member Kevin Riley, would require the Mayor to establish five new clubhouses for individuals with serious mental illness, which are community-based facilities designed to support such individuals by providing wraparound services and opportunities for social connection, including group activities, peer support, job readiness skills, and transitional employment opportunities.

Protecting New Yorkers Against Lead

Introduction 193-A, sponsored by Council Member Carlina Rivera, would categorize lead-based paint that is peeling or on a deteriorated subsurface in the common areas of a residential building as an immediately hazardous violation and strengthen inspection requirements for such common areas when children reside within in the building.  

Introduction 200-A, sponsored by Council Member Rafael Salamanca, would require DOHMH to submit to the Mayor and the Speaker of the Council, and make publicly available on DOHMH’s website, a semiannual report on the number of objections filed by multiple dwelling owners to DOHMH lead abatement orders. The report would be required to include the number of objections filed by the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) and to specify the reasons why any objections are found to have merit, including faulty testing or paint sampling, or an exemption based on the dwelling’s construction date.

Providing Pathways to Civil Service for Justice Involved New Yorkers

Introduction 645-B, sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams, would strengthen the pathway to civil service for justice involved New Yorkers by requiring Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) to administer civil service exams in the City’s forthcoming borough-based jails, authorizing DCAS to waive the civil service exam fee for justice involved individuals, and requiring the City to provide information about the civil service exam system to them.

Preserving Access to Gender Affirming Care

Introduction 1074-A, sponsored by Council Member Crystal Hudson, would prohibit the use of city resources to detain any person for seeking, obtaining, providing, or facilitating gender-affirming care in the state of New York, or outside the state of New York in circumstances where such conduct would have been lawful had it occurred in the state of New York. The bill further prohibits the use of city resources to cooperate with an investigation of a person on grounds that such person is known or believed to have sought, obtained, provided, or facilitated gender-affirming care outside the state of New York under circumstances where their conduct would have been lawful had it occurred in the State of New York.

Ensuring Housing Placement Transparency for Transgender, Gender Nonconforming, Non-Binary or Intersex in Department of Correction (DOC) Custody

Introduction 887-B, sponsored by Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, would require the DOC to report quarterly about the housing placements of transgender, gender nonconforming, non-binary or intersex within DOC’s custody.

Creating Mile Markers in the Rockaways

Introduction 853-A, sponsored by Council Member Joann Ariola, would require the Department of Transportation (DOT) to install mile markers along designated sections of Cross Bay Boulevard, Beach Channel Drive, and Rockaway Point Boulevard, which will help motorists who are stranded and need to communicate their location to support services.

Land Use

• 1656 West 10th Street Rezoning – Allstar Homecare Agency, Inc seeks a Map Amendment to change an existing R5B zoning district to R6A, and a related Zoning Text Amendment to map the rezoning area as a Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) area in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn.These actionswill facilitate a new six-story residential building with ground-floor community facility space. It will include 24 housing units, approximately 6 affordable units under MIH Option 1, and 10 accessory off-street parking spaces, in Council Member Kalman Yeger’s district.
• 189-10 Northern Blvd. Commercial Overlay – As a result of the applicant having withdrawn this application, in Council Member Vickie Paladino’s district. The Council will be voting to file this Land use item to remove it from our calendar. 
• 43rd Avenue Demapping – An application for demapping and disposing a portion of 43rd Avenue with an existing encroachment, in Council Member Vickie Paladino’s district. The Council will be voting on a resolution to disapprove this application.