S3979A-2013 - NY Senate Open Legislation - Relates to the payment of shelter allowances by the department of social services in the county of Niagara

Permits the county of Niagara to direct the commissioner of social services to make certain shelter allowance payments directly to the owner of a housing accommodation.

Sponsor: MAZIARZ
Law Section: County Law / Law: Add S853, County L

S3979A-2013 Actions

Mar 21, 2013: ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
Mar 20, 2013: 2ND REPORT CAL.
Mar 19, 2013: 1ST REPORT CAL.239
Mar 11, 2013: PRINT NUMBER 3979A
Mar 11, 2013: AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Mar 4, 2013: REFERRED TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT

S3979A-2013 Meetings

Local Government: Mar 19, 2013

S3979A-2013 Calendars

S3979A-2013 Votes

VOTE: COMMITTEE VOTE: - Local Government - Mar 19, 2013

Ayes (9): Martins, Ball, Boyle, Marchione, Ritchie, Valesky, Gipson, Latimer, O'Brien

S3979A-2013 Memo

BILL NUMBER:S3979A                   REVISED 04/10/13

TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the county law, in relation to the
payment of shelter allowances by the department of social services in
the county of Niagara

PURPOSE:

To authorize the department of social services in the county of
Niagara to make shelter allowance payments for a recipient of public
assistance directly to the owner of the housing accommodation or his
or her designated agent.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1 of the bill adds a new section 853 to the county law
relating to shelter allowances in Niagara County. The new section
authorizes the Niagara County Legislature to enact a local law to
allow the Niagara County department of social services to make shelter
allowance payments for a recipient of public assistance directly to
the owner of the housing accommodation or his or her designated agent.

Section 2 of the bill is the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:

Recently, the Niagara County Legislature identified the misuse of
shelter allowance payments to recipients of public assistance as a
growing problem. Specifically, shelter allowance payments axe simply
not being used for their intended purpose - to pay for rent. This can
lead to instability within the family unit, potentially costly
eviction proceedings, and decline within neighborhoods.

To address this situation, the Niagara County Legislature passed a
resolution encouraging the state to provide the county social services
department with the ability to pay shelter allowances directly to
landlords. This legislation does just that. By providing the County
Legislature with the authority to enact local laws to allow direct
payments to landlords, this legislation will curb the abuse in the
current system and help ensure stable housing for families and
children. In addition, this legislation will help reduce the number of
evictions and property abandonments, and allow the local department of
social services to operate more efficiently.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New legislation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect immediately.

S3979A-2013 Text

 S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 
 3979--A
 2013-2014 Regular Sessions
 I N  SENATE
 March 4, 2013
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. MAZIARZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
 printed to be committed  to  the  Committee  on  Local  Government  -
 committee  discharged,  bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and
 recommitted to said committee
 

AN ACT to amend the county law, in relation to the  payment  of  shelter
 allowances  by  the  department  of  social  services in the county of
 Niagara
 THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

Section  1.  The  county law is amended by adding a new section 853 to
 read as follows:

 

S 853. SHELTER ALLOWANCE PAYMENTS FOR RECIPIENTS OF PUBLIC  ASSISTANCE
 IN  THE  COUNTY  OF NIAGARA. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER PROVISION OF LAW,
 THE LEGISLATIVE BODY IN THE COUNTY OF NIAGARA MAY ENACT A LOCAL  LAW  OR
 ORDINANCE TO AUTHORIZE AND DIRECT THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NIAGARA COUNTY
 DEPARTMENT  OF  SOCIAL SERVICES TO MAKE SHELTER ALLOWANCE PAYMENTS FOR A
 RECIPIENT OF PUBLIC ASSISTANCE DIRECTLY TO  THE  OWNER  OF  THE  HOUSING
 ACCOMMODATION OR HIS OR HER DESIGNATED AGENT.
 

S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD09464-02-3

S3979A-2013: Relates to the payment of shelter allowances by the department of social services in the county of Niagara