New York City families seeking shelter will soon have an easier process for intake, thanks to a new City Council bill passed this week. Introduction 123-A, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala, would prohibit DHS from requiring children to be present in person at an intake facility when their family applies or reapplies for placement at a homeless shelter.
There is an exception for when DHS requests to remotely view a child and is unable to do so within 24 hours, or when a child has not checked in to their assigned shelter by the shelter’s curfew on the day following placement.
- Advertisement -
Ayala, drawing from her own experience with the city’s shelter system, emphasized the challenges parents face when bringing young children to lengthy intake sessions. The new bill aims to relieve that burden by allowing children to appear virtually for their family’s initial application or reentry into the shelter system. The bill passed unanimously, with all 44 Council members present voting in favor.
“Families experiencing homelessness are already in stressful, difficult situations and we should not add any unnecessary burden when they choose to seek shelter,” said Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala. “I know what it’s like to bring your children to an intake center and wait hours for a shelter placement as I did with my one-year-old long ago. Therefore, I’m proud that we are passing Int. 123, which will no longer force parents to have their children physically present with them as they apply for shelter. This will prevent disruptions to schooling and add a bit of relief for families.”
Once signed into law, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will no longer be able to require children to attend intake proceedings in person unless they fail to appear virtually within 24 hours of a request or miss checking into their shelter by curfew the day after placement. However, families will still have the option for in-person intake if they choose.
Currently, families must go to a centralized intake center in the Bronx to secure shelter placement. While the process has been streamlined over the years, families still spend an average of six to seven hours at the center. DHS officials have maintained that the current system already exempts children from in-person attendance for the initial intake, but Ayala’s bill will make this exemption a formal law.
Advocates have praised the legislation as a significant advancement in supporting homeless families. The bill now heads to Mayor Eric Adams’ desk for his signature. If signed, it will provide much-needed flexibility for families navigating the shelter system, ensuring the health and safety of children remain a priority.
Introduction 460-A, sponsored by Council Member Sandra Ung, would require the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) to report on the feasibility of contracting with community-based organizations to accept and process applications for shelter intake for families with children. The commissioner of homeless services would be required to deliver the report to the Mayor and Council no later than one year after this bill goes into effect.
“For too long, families have been forced to navigate a system that asks them to travel miles with young children, frequently missing work or school, just to reach the PATH intake center in the Bronx,” said Council Member Sandra Ung. “But we know that the first stop for many families in crisis is not PATH, but their local community organizations. These community-based organizations are trusted, they are present where families live, and they are already doing much of the work. They should be empowered to do even more.
Ung continued, “By requiring the Department of Homeless Services to study the feasibility of partnering with these local nonprofits to process shelter intake applications, we are taking a common-sense approach to serving homeless families where they are, rather than making them come to us. I want to thank Speaker Adrienne Adams for her leadership and support on this issue, and to my City Council colleagues who voted today to support some of our city’s most vulnerable families.”
