Council Member Sandra Ung, together with Council Members Tiffany Caban, Rita Joseph and Linda Lee, today introduced legislation in the City Council that would require the Department of Homeless Services to prepare a report on the feasibility of partnering with community-based nonprofit organizations to accept and process applications for shelter intake from families with children.

Currently, families in need of emergency shelter must travel to the Prevention Assistance and Temporary Housing (PATH) intake center Bronx, the only location that processes families with young children. Final approval for placement in the city’s shelter system often requires multiple trips for applicants.

However, the first stop for many families on the verge of homelessness is not PATH, but local nonprofit organizations working directly within the community. They often assist in the preparation of the application and completing the process, and in some cases arrange for or even provide transportation to PATH. These community-based organizations are not only trusted institutions within the community, but also provide culturally competent and in-language services that support immigrant communities.

The report required by Intro. No. 513 would identify any barriers to allowing community-based organizations to serve as intake shelters and solutions to address them; any training requirements to implement such a program; and issues related to accessing necessary databases and procedures regarding confidentiality and data privacy.

“Operating just one family intake center in the Bronx to serve all five boroughs is an unnecessary obstacle for families entering the shelter system,” said Council Member Sandra Ung. “Homelessness is always a hardship, but facing it while also caring for young kids is an enormous burden. We should not add to that struggle by making these families travel long distances just to apply for help. DHS should partner with local nonprofits and community organizations and authorize them to serve as intake centers. These groups are often the first people in contact with families in need, and they should be able to process their paperwork so they can get help as soon as possible.”

“When I was a public school teacher, I saw first-hand how many obstacle families in shelters face,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. “The city must be better at alleviating the challenges our unhoused neighbors experience. DHS operating just one family intake center in the entirety of the city is a burdensome and unnecessary challenge for families entering the shelter system. The city needs to authorize local nonprofits and community-based organizations to serve as intake centers, because these groups have on-the-ground experience helping neighbors in crisis in a timely and thoughtful manner.”

“The application process for emergency shelter is difficult enough, and families can’t afford to travel to the only one intake facility in the Bronx to get it,” said Council Member Linda Lee, Vice co-chair of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus. “This is an unnecessary burden in an already exhausting process that ultimately impacts parents and children. Having local community-based organizations serve as intake centers will help families avoid long-distance travel, and create an avenue for our immigrant communities to receive culturally-competent assistance during the application process. I am proud to partner with Council Member Ung alongside Council Members Caban and Joseph to introduce this legislation to study the feasibility of this proposal to make this process easier for so many New Yorkers.”

If passed, the legislation requires delivery of the report to the Mayor and Speaker of the City Council by no later than September 30, 2022.