S 4968: Relates to establishing a presumption of eligibility for housing and temporary shelter placement for those who lost employment due to a non-essential business shutdown.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 4968 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 14, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. BAILEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 1 AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the public housing law, in relation to establishing a presumption of eligibility for housing for those who lost employment due to a non-es- sential business shutdown The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The administrative code of the city of New York is amended 2 by adding a new section 21-335 to read as follows: 3 § 21-335 Presumption of eligibility; non-essential business shutdown. 4 a. The department shall deem any applicant who is no longer employed due 5 to a non-essential business shutdown an eligible homeless person for 6 purposes of temporary shelter placement provided by the department. Such 7 applicants shall not be required to undergo an eligibility determination 8 process at a department intake facility prior to being admitted to a 9 temporary shelter placement. 10 b. For the purposes of this section, "non-essential business shutdown" 11 shall mean a business interruption during a period of a declared state 12 emergency due to a pandemic which resulted in a person losing employ- 13 ment. 14 § 2. Section 156 of the public housing law is amended by adding a new 15 subdivision 8 to read as follows: 16 8. a. Notwithstanding any provisions to the contrary contained in this 17 chapter, all authorities shall deem any applicant who is no longer 18 employed due to a non-essential business shutdown an eligible person for 19 purposes of admission or continued occupancy. Such applicants shall not 20 be required to undergo an eligibility determination process prior to 21 being admitted to or permitted to continue occupying a project. 22 b. For the purposes of this subdivision, "non-essential business shut- 23 down" shall mean a business interruption during a period of a declared 24 state emergency due to a pandemic which resulted in a person losing 25 employment. 26 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09058-01-5