A 735: Expands the age range eligibility for the rent subsidy payable to a foster child living independently to age twenty-four.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 735 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled) January 8, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. HEVESI, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, SIMON, SHIMSKY, FORREST, GIBBS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Children and Fami- lies AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to expanding the age range for eligibility for the rent subsidy payable to a foster child living independently The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 409-a of the 2 social services law, as amended by section 1 of part BB of chapter 56 of 3 the laws of 2023, is amended to read as follows: 4 (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, where a 5 social services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is 6 the primary factor preventing the discharge of a child or children from 7 foster care including, but not limited to, children with the goal of 8 discharge to independent living, preventive services shall include, in 9 addition to any other payments or benefits received by the family, 10 special cash grants in the form of rent subsidies, including rent 11 arrears, or any other assistance, sufficient to obtain adequate housing. 12 Such rent subsidies or assistance shall not exceed the sum of seven 13 hundred twenty-five dollars per month, shall not be provided for a peri- 14 od of more than three years, may be provided up to age twenty-four for 15 youth discharged from foster care, and shall be considered a special 16 grant. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to limit the ability 17 of those using such rent subsidy to live with roommates. The provisions 18 of this paragraph shall not be construed to limit such official's 19 authority to provide other preventive services. 20 § 2. Subdivision 7 of section 409-a of the social services law, as 21 amended by section 2 of part BB of chapter 56 of the laws of 2023, is 22 amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD01532-01-5 
 A. 735 2 1 7. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if a social 2 services official determines that a lack of adequate housing is a factor 3 that may cause the entry of a child or children into foster care and the 4 family has at least one service need other than lack of adequate hous- 5 ing, preventive services may include, in addition to any other payments 6 or benefits received by the family, special cash grants in the form of 7 rent subsidies, including rent arrears, or any other assistance, suffi- 8 cient to obtain adequate housing. Such rent subsidies or assistance 9 shall not exceed the sum of seven hundred twenty-five dollars per month, 10 shall not be provided for a period of more than three years, may be 11 provided up to age twenty-four for youth discharged from foster care, 12 and shall be considered a special grant. Nothing in this subdivision 13 shall be construed to limit the ability of those using such rent subsidy 14 to live with roommates. The provisions of this paragraph shall not be 15 construed to limit such official's authority to provide other preventive 16 services. 17 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.