Contact: Sunny Mindel/Jennifer Chait (212) 788-2958
Furthermore, the legislation provides that the Emergency Assistance Unit (E.A.U.) will remain open for the intake of clients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Any family with children still in the application process at the E.A.U. at 10:00 p.m. will be taken to a shelter for the night at a facility that provides on-site social services. Families will then be returned to the E.A.U. the next morning to continue the application process.
Intro. 521-A would prohibit any new shelter from having a capacity of over 200 persons. Additionally, while the bill grandfathers in the City's seven existing shelters that each have populations in excess of 200 persons, it also sets out specific population limits by which any new shelter established to replace a grandfathered shelter may exceed the 200 person cap.
I believe this legislation strikes the proper balance in providing realistic services to those in need while providing the City the flexibility it needs to deliver such services.
For the reasons previously stated, I will now sign the bill.