Section 610.
§ 610. Department; commissioner. There shall be a department of
homeless services, the head of which shall be the commissioner of
homeless services.
Section 612.
§ 612. Powers and duties. a. The commissioner shall have the powers
and perform the duties of a commissioner of social services under the
social services law for the purpose of fulfilling his or her
responsibilities under this chapter. In the performance of his or her
functions, the commissioner shall:
1. be responsible for transitional housing and services provided by
the city for eligible homeless families and individuals. The
commissioner shall encourage the participation of and receive proposals
from the public and private sectors for the development of transitional
housing and services for homeless families and individuals. In
performing such duties, the commissioner may develop and issue requests
for proposals and evaluate responses thereto, negotiate, award, enter
into and administer contracts, loans or other agreements, award and
administer grants and obtain all necessary approvals. For-profit and
not-for-profit entities shall be eligible to submit proposals, bid on
contracts and other agreements, and apply for grants and loans;
2. develop, maintain and, where necessary, strengthen the system for
the provision of transitional housing and services for homeless families
and individuals;
3. in consultation with other appropriate governmental agencies, plan
housing for homeless families and individuals;
4. maintain, repair and rehabilitate transitional housing owned,
operated or managed by the department;
5. establish performance criteria, goals and objectives with respect
to contract providers and monitor and evaluate such performance;
6. participate in the development of prevention programs to assist
families and individuals who are in imminent danger of becoming
homeless;
7. in consultation with other appropriate governmental agencies,
develop and operate outreach programs to identify and assist families
and individuals who are homeless and living in public spaces.
Notwithstanding any outreach programs developed or operated by other
city agencies, and outreach programs developed or operated by any entity
pursuant to a contract with the department, the commissioner shall
retain a substantial outreach workforce within the department's
full-time staff. Beginning on the first day of September, 1998 and on
the first day of each succeeding calendar quarter thereafter, the
commissioner shall report to the speaker of the council in writing on
the outreach programs operated by the department, by other city agencies
or by entities contracting with the department. Such report shall
include, but not be limited to, the number of contacts during the
reporting period, the number of placements in transitional housing
resulting from such contacts during the reporting period and the number
of referrals of persons so contacted to programs or services during the
reporting period;
8. direct and supervise the management, operations, budget and funding
of services for homeless individuals and families;
9. work directly with the mayor's office of management and budget with
regard to the funding and administration of the city's budget for
services to homeless families and individuals; and
10. advise and assist the mayor with respect to matters pertaining to
homeless families and individuals.
b. In addition to the duties set forth in subdivision a of this
section, the commissioner is authorized, in consultation with
appropriate agencies, to provide any other services he or she deems
necessary to implement and effectuate the provisions of this chapter.
Section 613.
§ 613. Transitional housing inventory. Beginning on May 1, 1999 and on
May first of each succeeding year thereafter, the commissioner shall
report to the speaker of the council in writing on the transitional
housing maintained by the department and such transitional housing
operated by any entity pursuant to a contract with the department. Such
report shall include, but not be limited to, the percentage and types of
transitional housing disaggregated by the borough in which they are
located.
Section 614.
§ 614. Permanent housing needs, annual report. Beginning on May 1,
1999 and on May first of each succeeding year thereafter, the
commissioner shall report to the speaker of the council in writing on
the permanent housing and the transitional housing and services,
respectively, projected to be needed to house homeless families and
individuals expected to be housed within the system during the fiscal
year to begin on each July first thereafter. Such annual report shall
include, but not be limited to, the sources, including, but not being
limited to, the department of housing preservation and development and
the New York city housing authority, from which the commissioner of
homeless services projects to meet the permanent housing identified in
such report as needed during such fiscal year and the number of
permanent housing to be provided by each source.
To the extent possible under law, Friends of Devin Balkind for Public Advocate has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to New York City Administrative Code. This work is published from: United States.
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