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**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
August 5, 2008
Contact: Sarah Krauss
(212) 669-4193; (917) 541-0936
Release #:31-2008
Public Advocate Gotbaum Calls on the City to End Late-Arrival Policy for Homeless Families
“Unfair” city plan not working, says Gotbaum; Late-arrival policy riddled with inconsistencies
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MANHATTAN – Public Advocate Gotbaum released a new report today profiling five homeless families and their experiences of being denied placement in city homeless shelters. Despite the rising numbers of homeless families in New York City, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) instituted a policy in 2007 of denying shelter placements to families with children previously found ineligible who arrived after 5pm.
Of the 278 families turned away between October 2007 and February 2008, 61% were later granted overnight placement or found to be eligible for placement after presenting what the DHS considered to be new information. This statistic suggests the DHS makes frequent errors in denying overnight shelter to families.
A plan announced by the Mayor four years ago promised to reduce the number of families in the shelter system to fewer than 3,000 by 2009. But, in 2007 an average of 9,297 families were staying in city shelters nightly, up 13% from 2005.
Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum said, “This policy is unfair. Four years ago, the mayor promised to put an end to chronic homelessness by 2009, and yet homelessness has increased and to make matters worse, DHS is implementing new policies to turn families away, forcing them into unsafe and unhealthy living situations. We need to end this practice.”
The Public Advocate’s office interviewed five homeless families that were initially turned down for shelter by DHS, four of whom were later found eligible or placed in permanent housing. The Public Advocate’s report found several commonalities in DHS’ treatment of these families. For example, it appears DHS was unable or unwilling to obtain information on families’ housing histories and based decisions on incomplete information. Families interviewed also asserted that DHS refused to take incidents of domestic violence and sexual abuse into consideration. In three cases, DHS’ reversal was due, in part, to the interventions of advocates or legal representatives.
The Public Advocate recommends that DHS take the following actions:
- End the policy of denying late-arrival shelter placements to families that re-apply after 5 pm.
- Evaluate and revise the application process to improve eligibility determinations.
- Revise shelter application and re-application procedures so school-aged homeless children do not have to miss school.
- Change shelter eligibility criteria so DHS never recommends that a family return to housing if that family’s presence puts the lease holder at risk of eviction.
DHS requires that families seeking shelter demonstrate they are in immediate need of temporary emergency shelter. DHS is required by law to verify that alternate housing options are actually available before they can officially issue a denial. Advocates are concerned that DHS commits many errors in its eligibility review process. Because the application process can last all day and requires that all members of the family be present, children often miss periods of school.
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