TO: Committee Members and General Public

FROM: Matt Green, Councilman Corey Johnson’s Office; John Mudd and Sharon Jasprizza, Midtown South Community Council

SUBJECT: Homeless and Housing Committee Meeting recap for Tuesday, August 6th, 2019 at 9:30am, plus upcoming meeting reminder and announcements

PURPOSE: To develop partnerships and resources to identify problems and find solutions for our homeless and housing crisis

DATE: September 18, 2019

We covered a range of topics during our recent meeting. We continue our conversations on the voucher program, medical and non-medical respite beds, as well as many other issues. Definitive action plans are needed for a few discoveries (see Addendum A).

CHAIR(S): John Mudd, MSCC

POLICY COMMITTEE’S REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

The prior 8:30am policy meeting’s time was used for video testimonial surrounding the voucher system. Details will be available at a later date (see Addendum B). 

SPEAKER(S): No speakers were present.

Topics discussed…

VOUCHERS

There were no representatives from DSS, DHS, or HRA present to discuss voucher concerns (tabled for a future meeting). Discriminatory practices, SOTA vouchers, and application fees were discussed (see below).

Discriminatory Practices exist among landlords, brokers, and others. Several verbal testimonials have been heard. The committee’s policy meeting spent their hour video taping a voucher recipient’s history and will continue to gather testimonials. The committee is discussing the multi-layered obstacles preventing voucher users from finding housing and discussing how we may protect and prevent discriminatory practices.

• Charisma W, who was recently housed, has shared her story and will share documentation of her case with Curtis Chance, a Flatbush Avenue landlord, who discriminated against her during her desperate search for an apartment 
  • Charisma states, “Results come from prosecution or legal action.† 
  • Avenues for legal support: Human Rights Council, Housing Rights, Justice Center
• It was noted either as a suggestion or fact: Real estate developers are required to set aside a percentage of apartments for low-income housing in return for any government tax breaks or funding they receive 

SOTA (one shot deal) 

SOTA pays rent for one year and relocates you out of the city. This program relieves the city of its responsibility to the voucher holder and lessens NYC’s homeless numbers. 

Comments: 

• Kevin MCGinn, GDA, said that NYC was sued by Binghamton City over SOTA recipients 
• Hilton Douglas, Urban Pathways, said that SOTA recipients are required to be employed 
• Hilton described a client’s experience upon moving to Newark: The client was urged to move, even pushed to take the apartment. DHS paid for a year up front, but the building was unlivable. An abundance of problems existed: the apartment was not available in a timely manner, pipes were frozen leaving the resident without water, a burned out building stood next door, mice were rampant, sewer problems existed, feces was found in the common areas. Conclusion: This was a horrible experience no one should be subjected to and the building is not suitable for living
• Committee’s action: Gather more details and videotape the clients’ story

The following questions regarding SOTA’s policies and purposes were raised and unanswered:

• What are the current policies surrounding SOTA? 
• Does the SOTA program simply move the problem elsewhere, or does it give a person a fresh start? 
• How many vouchers are being used, have we documented the user outcomes?
• How many people return to the shelter system from where they came after using the SOTA one shot deal?
• Is there a seamless transfer of support to an individual when NY moves a person to another state? 
• It was said that people have returned from the SOTA program due to the conditions of their apartments, and people are suing the city for bad placement, do we have any follow-up data or studies on people who have participated in the SOTA program?
• If a person returns, are they prevented from entering the shelter system?
• Where is the oversight regarding the landlord for Hilton’s client and others who are operating in the same manner?

Fees for housing application and background checks updates:

• The sweeping housing measures state lawmakers passed in June bars landlords from charging more than $20 to cover the costs of tenant background or credit checks. (See link: http://localhost/mscc_old/real-estate-brokers-blow-beyond-new-20-tenant-fee-cap/)
  • Do these changes render our fee concerns mute?
• According to Chrisma, low-income families’ fees are supposed to be waved. Reach out to Beth on these fees

RESPITE BEDS

DHS (Unruled) Shelter pilot program, DHS (pilot program) are overnight respite beds, similar or referred to as Safe Haven, which are void of any stringent rules. More info is needed; the term “pilot program†may be misplaced (add to next month’s agenda)? 

ESN/NYDIS Respite Beds: The merging of ESN and NYDIS was detailed in the August recap  (see MSCC’s web link). The ESN/NYDIS is a network of (mostly) churches, which provide overnight stays for people who are homeless

• Various sites within the network vary in size
• The network has difficulty retaining volunteers to oversee the individual sites 
• Cassie notes:
  • The sites she works with have one volunteer to every ten people
  • No training certificate is required to be a volunteer within the network
  • Training is needed to manage street conditioned clients who may be mentally, emotionally, and physically handicapped
  • NYDIS is open to training
  • NYDIS’s focus is on a positive experience for the volunteer
    • How much time are we able to ask of a volunteer?
    • Can we ask an overnight volunteer to attend training sessions?
  • ESN has no policy, every church has their own unwritten policy
  • People being housed overnight within the network have to abide by strict rules and time tables for travel: If you don’t arrive on the bus, you can’t get into the shelter
    • During winter, two ladies after missing their bus went directly to the facility and were not allowed in; they stayed there frequently and were known to the establishment and to other clients staying there. The rules in this case were too stringent
    • Good ADLs such as mentally well, clean, and sober, counts out most homeless
    • Other stringent rules: no smoking, no exiting, lights out at a certain time…then there are people/personality interactions…
  • MainChance has one volunteer to service 14 clients. Their perspective: Some rules are established between the parties, but some are modified; basic ground rules need to be set and followed; no bending rules, people know what to expect going through MainChance 

The beds within the ESN/NYDIS network are being underutilized. DHS and ESN/NYDIS’s focus is on filling those beds. Several non-profit homeless services meet quarterly with DHS to discuss those numbers. DHS tracks how many beds were procured and filled on a nighty basis.

Who is charged with filling those beds? Cassie explains, 

Every borough has an outreach team. The respite overnights are not for the outreach team, they are for the [homeless services] drop-in center. [Health and safety issues require people to go through intake; direct street to bed lacks a clear and safe pipeline.] Every drop-in center has a certain amount of beds to fill. The drop-in center would secure a certain amount of beds based upon their eligible clients.

Ex: A Social service drop-in facility such as The Living Room, “would say out of their 100 clients, 50 are eligible for church beds. DHS would require the Living Room to go into the community and seek out relationships with agencies to provide 50 beds, which can be gathered from various bed providers to house their 50 eligible clients.â€

There was agreement among attendees that DHS is holding homeless outreach services accountable for placement when there are too many variables, and they are not supportive to clients. Volunteers don’t know how to talk to clients. Many want men. Transgender is an issue. 

Breaking Ground, who work with a MOC team and are contracted by the city, are restricted with the respite beds that they can use.

• Can it be assumed that these are the Safe Haven beds that require a very low level of conditions for entry?

• Drafting Acceptable Recommendations for a Non Medical Respite Bed Policyto appease the respite bed providers, social services, and clients, could solve many issues if mutually agreed upon. During the July 2019 meeting, Nicole McVinue (Urban Pathways) suggested that drafting Recommendations for Respite Bed Policy should include the principals of the bed providers; this could create better relations and buy-in. The committee agreed and committed to the following actions:
  • Outline soft and hard limits that prevent people from accepting a church bed
    • Cassie will write up a skeleton draft to begin a discussion
  • NYDIS has been asked to reach out to the principals of the church bed providers to bring them into the discussion regarding policy recommendation development

MEDICAL RESPITE BEDS

The consensus agrees that Medical Respite Beds are needed. The committee is researching Medical Respite Beds elsewhere, to see how we may bring more facilities to NYC. There are two pathways being explored: partnering with One City Health and urging the city to fund or partner in the development of Medical Respite Beds.

One City Respite Program: Cassie Dessalines, Director of Living Room & Safe Haven, BronxWorks, is partnering with One City Respite Program (see attached proposals). The idea is to lower the cost of emergency room use, to provide longer care for persons without a residence, and to enable a pathway to better health and housing stability

The McInnis House, Boston’s medical respite bed (Addendum D), meeting is officially scheduled for 10/24; rendezvous point and time TBD

• Travel and accommodations will be self-funded
• Train travel is recommended; BronxWorks’ van transportation is available for a day trip 
• Please confirm your attendance

Communilife (see Addendum F) works with hospitals to provide a temporary place for recovery 

• DHS is working with a Medical Respite Bed facility in the Bronx and the provider is Comunilife
• Comunilife has a relationships with Montefiore, Bronx Lebanon, United Healthcare, Blue Cross and Blue Shield
• Update: Daniel Pichinson and John Mudd had a conference call with principals from Comunilife; they will be joining us at future meeting (more details to come)

Although Communilife may be considered as, or the next best thing to, a Medical Respite Bed facility, it seems to fall short of the definition of a Medical Respite Bed facility. It was concluded that the beds provided from Communilife allowed for recovery and close interaction with the hospital, but they lacked the accouterments of a hospital. But they do serve to get people off the streets (more in the upcoming meeting).

MetroPlus (?) may be developing a Medical Respite Bed program.

MTA ENFORCEMENT INITIATIVE

In June, the City announced a new “diversion pilot†policy: Police officers would issue summonses to homeless people sleeping in the subways, which would be cleared if the ticketed person agreed to meet with outreach. No one had any additional information or knowledge of the proposal’s outcomes.

APTs

Development, planning group: Allen Oster, CB4; Julie Chou, Renee Kinsella, CB5; Luke Szabados, CB5; Boyeong Hong; Kevin Gurly; Joseph Greeley, CB5; Mo George; John Mudd, MSCC -Updates?

CITY’S PROPOSED NEW RULE ON SHELTERED RESIDENTS

Susan Stetzer highlighted: The DHS’s proposal to mandate (generally) 30% of the shelter residents earnings to be put into savings account. There were no updates given at the meeting. 

For additional information on this proposed new rule please see: NYC Rules https://rules.cityofnewyork.us/content/income-savings-plan-program (and also Addendum I).

At a recent CAB meeting this proposed rule was discussed; the mandate for a person with earned income to save 30% is expected to take effect in the near future. 

Please forward your comments on the mandatory savings proposal. 

WORKSHOPS

• Current workshop updates: Two of the four workshop pilot programs developed with Metro Baptist Church went well. We expect the same for the remaining two that are scheduled (see flyer attached)
• Charisma and Nicole are working on an outline for an added workshop “Navigating the Shelter Systemâ€

PARACHUTE PROGRAM

• No more details about the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announcement of their launch of Parachute NYC, a mental health service that can be accessed by calling 1-800-LIFENET (see Addendum E) 

PUBLIC BATHROOM

• No updates from the public bathrooms development and planning group: Allen Oster, CB4; Julie Chou, Renee Kinsella, CB5; Luke Szabados, CB5; Boyeong Hong; Kevin Gurly; Joseph Greeley, CB5; John Mudd, MSCC

HOUSE OUR FUTURE 

• Housing initiatives (Addendum G)

PUBLIC CONCERNS / POLICE AND COMMUNITY

• The NYPD was not represented today
• Removal of the Dyer encampment happened on this same day 
• Ron, General Manager for Hilton reported: homeless difficulties on 40th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue; after the Port Authority closes, the people using it as a shelter will linger on 40th Street; people congregate regularly near the liquor store on the south side of 40th Street, between 8th/9th Avenue

The mentally ill can be handled differently and should be noted when dialing 311. It was noted that there are many different homeless classifications and many different pathways off the streets 

ACTION LIST

• No actions were committed (see Addendum A)
• Laundry and daycare needs (see Josephine Ishmon’s email Addendum H)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• MSCC and Community Court’s courtyard Urban Farm: Tomatoes, tomatillos, corn, fennel, carrots, radishes, herbs, and two fig trees; cabbage was ravaged by bugs; we added spinach and kale. Look out for our Urban Farm GoFundMe to come!
• Laundry For Kids – update: raised close to $4,546.00 and served 182 kids
• Please support our GoFundMe campaigns: Laundry for Kids and Street Sheets
• Workshops Events: See link to Life Skills flyer and attachment of the scheduled event
• Coalition For The Homeless: The Interfaith Assembly on Homelessness and Housing is organizing an overnight vigil on September 26^th in support of the House Our Future NY Campaign. Please see below from Marc Greenberg, and spread the word
• Juan Batistas has retired. Sgt. Anthony Mahepath will be our new NYPD Homeless contact

AOB

• Suggestions for speakers: Communilife, MetroPlus, One City regarding Medical Respite BedsADDENDUM A: DISCOVERIES / ACTIONABLE ITEMS

ADDENDUM A: DISCOVERIES, ACTIONS, SOLUTIONS

Below are discoveries from previous discussions, pertinent points for further discussions

DHS

Turning Tide: TurningtheTideNYC is DHS’s comprehensive vision for addressing homelessness. Download “Turning the Tide on Homelessness, Neighborhood by Neighborhoodâ€

• DHS is emphasizing the closing of commercial hotel shelters (cluster units) and have plans to replace them with 90 new shelters with proper wrap-around social services to reduce long-term homelessness: investing high quality of social service on site, and implementing many unique best practices, are of high priority to address trauma
• The services are preventative: Many children in the shelter system will return as adults

NON MEDICAL RESPITE BEDS

The non medical respite beds are provided by ESN, a coalition of churches, to DHS to house people overnight.

Problems

• Sleeping in chairs is bad for health and causes longterm problems
• Not enough cots for women
• Some cots sit low and hard for people to get in and out: The users are less mobile, larger in size, older and less able
• ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) are not good with the chronic homeless, people are not being able to access respite beds because of poor ADLs, poor mental health etc. 
• Emergency Shelter Network (ESN) require good mentally, drug free, ADLs; too stringent for some clientele with hygiene problems (such as smelly feet)
• One clientele was turned away because he smelled of alcohol; he was sober. He smelled because of his longterm alcohol abuse
• Rules inconsistent amongst the various respite sites

Solutions

• Uniformed policy will alleviate many challenges with church respite beds
• Training for respite bed volunteers (e.g., deescalation, Thrive, Narcan training kits on site)
• Add cots with appropriate height
• List training recommendations, oversight

ADDENDUM B: POLICY COMMITTEE’S RECAP 9.3.19

(Sub-committee of Homeless and Housing Committee) 

Recap FROM September 3, 2019 Policy Meeting

Name: Home and Housing Policy Committee

Location: Urban Pathways, 575 8th Avenue, 16 floor (between 38th and 39th Street)

Date: Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Time: 8:30am-9:30am

MEMBERS PRESENT

John Mudd, MSCC; Cassie Glenda Harris, community member…

COMMITTEE’S PURPOSE

Review policies and their oversight, determine actions, suggest and lobby for change!

POLICY COMMITTEE’S REPORT FOR SEPTEMBER 3, 2019

The prior 8:30am Policy meeting’s time was used for video testimonial surrounding the voucher system. Details will be available at a later date. 

FURTHER PLANNING

• Adding policies concerning chronicity to our task list
• Andrew: psychosocial and psychiatric evaluation policies in order to enter respite sites *Add-on
• Review Voucher policies and oversight

ADDENDUM C: ANDREW’S LETTER

Andrew has concerns with the information discrepancy between what was verbally explained and what DOH has published on their website; Concerns around respite admissions policies (inconsistencies regarding psychological evaluations to enter a respite site); case manager follow up; housing applications requiring fees; and mandatory medical check (see below for more details).

Andrew Bonfrancesco Housing Works:

I made some adjustments to my statement for letter, I’ll outline below where I changed my section. (let me know your feedback)

1. Info Inconsistency: One of the concerns is the information discrepancy between what is published on the DOH website and what you (Leilani) reported in the meeting (the 5-year limit to recertification vs. no limit based on what you reported during June’s 2019 Homeless and Housing Meeting). The discrepancy can be located on page 3 the last section of the page where it states in the document that “The CityFHEPS program generally provides for up to four annual renewals, with additional extensions available for “good cause” (five years total).” If this is not the case, it would be helpful that the document reflects this to alleviate confusion for those who wish to access more information around this program. 

1. Respite Centers for clients in crisis: I am finding several respite centers in Brooklyn are mandating clients to fill out or submit psychosocial and psychiatric evaluations in order to enter respite. This has caused a significant delay in the process of placement into these programs and it is concerning they are requiring so much information for such a short-stay program.

1. Additionally, the evaluation form that is required to be filled out states that this is not required for admissions into the program. When approaching these locations with this information discrepancy, I am hearing conflicting stories that “they do not need these documents” or that “this is required for our program in the evaluation process” from people within the same agency. It seems there is a disconnect in communication with these respite centers and I am concerned that these may be intention barriers for entering respite services to restrict access or create a cumbersome process of admissions. Do you know who I would contact or be able to follow up regarding these concerns?

1. Placement into housing services: Working with some of our clients, some of them are reporting issues accessing their case manager for follow up to be placed into housing outside of the shelter. One of the latest concerns regarding access to these services is the wait time it requires a client to access a bed that people may have lost due to curfew or did not check in for the night. Some of my clients are reporting that they are waiting all night for vacancy control to come place them into another bed. Some are reporting that despite waiting until 2:00AM (4 hour wait), they are reporting no one has come to pick them up to take them to another bed. Additionally, these individuals are restricted to a specific shelter for a year and the process for advocating for these people is time-consuming and places a heavy emotional burden on our already vulnerable population. I am significantly concerned that this acts as a barrier to entering our shelter sectors and was wondering if anything could be done to address this cumbersome process?

1. I am also hearing testimonies regarding client’s applications to housing requiring that they pay sums of 50$ for credit check, and in order to enter housing locations are required to pass a credit check. While not all people who experience homelessness may have an issue with this process, a portion of our clients who struggle with money management, substance use, or mental illness may have more significant challenges paying this fee for each apartment they may apply to. Do we have any policies or programs in place to support or assist these individuals with navigating this process?

1. Shelter Care for the sick: I am hearing those placed into these shelters are imposed strict guidelines for being allowed to stay in the shelter that day. The reports I have heard are that my clients are required to stay and see the doctor on site, which often takes hours to facilitate in order to stay at the shelter in the day to recover.†

Let me know what your thoughts are or any feedback you have when you have a moment.

Thank you very much.

Andrew Bonfrancesco, LMSW

ADDENDUM D: BOSTON MASSACHUSETTS MEDICAL RESPIT BED

MASSACHUSETTS / Barbara McInnis House 

Agency: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program
Address: Jean Yawkey Place, 780 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118 Contact: Sarah Ciambrone, Executive Director, Barbara McInnis House Phone: (857) 654-1701
E-mail: sciambrone@bhchp.org / Website: www.bhchp.org 

Description / Established 1993

Since 1988, medical respite care has been an essential component of the continuum of healthcare services provided by the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP). Originating as shelter-based medical beds, medical respite care for men and women is now provided in one freestanding facility, the 104-bed Barbara McInnis House which is housed in the top three floors of Jean Yawkey Place on Albany Street in Boston and located across the street from Boston Medical Center. 

Jean Yawkey Place is home not only to the medical respite program but also the dental program, a busy pharmacy and ambulatory clinic, and administration for Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program. 

The McInnis House provides care to men and to women, and provides comprehensive medical, nursing, behavioral, dental, and case management services in an environment sensitive to the needs of homeless adults. 

The McInnis House offers three meals per day that are served in the dining room. Patients recuperate in private, semi-private or two to six bed-rooms. The program admits patients 24 hours per day, seven days a week from hospitals, shelters, emergency departments, outpatient clinics, and directly from the street by referral from the BHCHP Street Team. 

Operating agency: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (HCH) 

Facility type: Stand-alone  / Number of respite beds: 104

Hours of operation: Admissions office – Monday thru Friday, 8am-4:30pm Average length of stay: approx. 12 days 

Admission Criteria 

• Primary medical problem 

• Psychiatrically stable 

• Independent in Activities of Daily Living 

• In need of short-term recuperative care 

• If on methadone, must be enrolled in methadone maintenance program 

• Disclosure of known communicable disease, including TB, VRE and MRSA

ADDENDUM E: PARACHUTE INFORMATION

PARACHUTE NYC

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene announces the launch of Parachute NYC: an innovative citywide approach to provide a “soft-landing†for individuals experiencing psychiatric crisis.

When someone is in crisis—but not at imminent risk to self or others—s/he can be referred to Parachute NYC by calling 1-800-LIFENET. The person will be seen at home by an enhanced Mobile team within 24 hours of the referral. The enhanced Mobile team will have the ability to work with the person as frequently as needed—even daily—for up to one year. The team will help the person to develop a network starting at the first meeting. This network will include the person and other people s/he chooses, such as family, friends, vocational staff, etc.

If the person receiving services needs a different level of care than can be provided at home—and is not at imminent risk to self or others—s/he can be referred to the Crisis Respite Center. The Respite is a home-like, warm, supportive and safe environment for people to stay during times of heightened distress. People may stay at the Respite for up to fourteen days. During their stay, Respite guests will continue to work with the Mobile team. The Respite is staffed with a mixture of peers and behavioral health professionals who are available 24/7 to offer peer support, wellness education and skills building. At this stage, Mobile and Respite services are available only to people living in stable housing.

People who are not interested in receiving treatment from the Mobile team may also stay at the Respite (e.g., someone who already has a mental health provider but is experiencing or anticipating a crisis). These individuals must provide a current clinical evaluation or consent to an evaluation by the Mobile team.

There is significant peer involvement in every component of Parachute NYC; besides mental health services, peers will work as peer health navigators to integrate medical health into the continuum of care.

All referrals to Parachute NYC are made through 1-800-LIFENET.

Parachute NYC also includes a peer operated Support Line for people to call when they are experiencing emotional distress to connect with a trained operator who has had similar experiences. Anyone can call the support line by dialing 646-741-HOPE. All services are confidential and there is no need for a referral.

Currently, Visiting Nurse Service of New York provides enhanced Mobile services and Community Access provides s Respite for residents of Manhattan. The Support Line, also operated by Community Access, is available to anyone in New York City. Enhanced Mobile and Respite services will open for Brooklyn residents in April. Brooklyn services will be exclusively for people aged 16-25 experiencing a first episode of psychosis. Services will open in Bronx and Queens, again for people aged 18-65, in late 2013 and early 2014, respectively.

Please visit our website for additional information: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/mental/parachute.shtml .

ADDENDUM F: COMMUNILIFE BROCHURE

About Comunilife 

Founded in 1989, Comunilife is a not-for-profit health and human services agency providing comprehensive mental health, social services and housing. Our mission is to provide vulnerable communities with housing and culturally sensitive support services. 

Services are provided to homeless persons living with mental illness, addictive disorders and HIV/AIDS to enable them to live independently in their community. In addition, we provide affordable housing for persons with low income. 

Comunilife programs employ our Multicultural Relational Approach for Diverse PopulationsTM which emphasizes respect for people’s cultural differences while mobilizing an individual’s strengths and resources of the community. Comunilife currently serves some 3,500 New York City residents throughout the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Manhattan. 

To make a tax deductible donation please visit www.comunilife.org/donation/. Donations may also be made by mail. For more information contact the development office at (212) 219-1618 ext. 6166 or ikaplan@comunilife.org 

Board of Directors: Raquel Ayala, Chairperson Veronica Kelleher, Vice Chairperson Jason P. Torres, Treasurer Frances Pandolfi, Secretary Carolina Buzzetti Gary Calnek Ruben Cardona Amarylis Cortijo, MD Steve Dyott Hazelien Featherstone James Geraghty Pamela J. Maraldo, PhD Carlos R. Piñeiro, Esq Miguel Sanchez, MD Ann Sullivan Marlene Zurack 

Rosa M. Gil, DSW Founder, President and CEO 

For more information or to discuss medical respite care services contracts, contact: Rosa Cifre, LCSW Chief Program Officer Comunilife, Inc. 462 Seventh Avenue New York, NY 10018 T: (718) 617-1978 info@comunilife.org www.comunilife.org 

Comunilife healthy living in community  SOCIAL/MEDICAL RESPITE CARE 8/2015 

Admission criteria: Social/medical respite care programs will serve persons who: 

• Lack suitable housing 
• Have acute or post-acute medical illness which requires short-term resolution and/or care 
• Need an environment in which to prepare for, or recover from, medical procedures such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, endoscopy, etc. 
• Are independent in activities of daily living (ADL) with the ability to dress, bathe, transfer and ambulate independently, or with mechanical assistance such as a wheelchair, crutches or cane 
• Are psychiatrically stable enough to accept and receive care and not interrupt the care of others 
• Are sick enough to need more than an emergency shelter bed for the night 
• Are not sick enough to require hospital level care or other medical care (nursing home, psychiatric in-patient care, rehabilitation hospital) 
• Have a condition with an identifiable end point of care for discharge.
  (Patients requiring IV hydration will be assessed on an individual basis.) 

What is social/medical respite care? 

Social/medical respite care is acute and post-acute medical care for persons who are too ill or frail to recover from a physical illness or injury but who are not ill enough to be hospitalized. These individuals may be homeless, or may simply not have a family member or friend to care for them. 

Unlike “respite†for caregivers, “social/ medical respite†is short-term residential care that allows individuals the opportunity to rest and recover in a safe environment while accessing medical care and other supportive services. For homeless patients, staff help secure permanent housing prior to discharge from the program. Challenges such as obtaining food, clothing and shelter, or achieving or maintaining sobriety can compromise adherence to medications, physician Instructions and follow-up appointments, thus increasing the probability of future hospitalizations. 

Social/medical respite care closes the gap between acute medical services provided in hospitals and the need for appropriate housing. It is an essential component of the continuum of health care services for the elderly and the homeless. 

Our medical respite care is offered in exist- ing transitional housing. 

Why is social/medical respite care needed? 

It is not uncommon for persons who live alone and have been hospitalized to be temporarily unable to care for themselves following hospital discharge. In the absence of an available caregiver, social/medical respite care can avoid costly and traumatizing external and unnecessary hospitalization. 

For the particularly at-risk homeless population, living on the streets exacerbates health problems, complicates treatment, and disrupts the continuity of care. These people tend to have high rates of physical and mental illness, increased mortality, and frequent hospitalizations. 

Research shows that patients who participate in social/medical respite programs are 50 percent less likely to be readmitted to a hospital at three months and twelve months post-hospital discharge. 

Avoiding costly discharge delays as well as reduces hospital readmissions, social/medical respite care generates significant savings for hospitals and communities. 

 ADDENDUM G: HOUSING OUR FUTURE CAMPAIGN

Please see below new message from our Partners…

No updates.

ADDENDUM H: JOSEPHINE ISHMON’S EMAIL

The below email requests updates regarding laundry machines, day care needs to be added to the agenda, and more…

John, please add day care to the list.

Yesterday, I met briefly with Acacia (who oversee 7 midtown shelters) and

they need more resources, specifically day care and laundry to handle the

influx of homeless families from FEMA. Mothers cannot work without daycare

for their children and they are having problems finding daycare centers

that will take DHS vouchers. I asked them to try Hudson Guild and Polly

Dodge Early Learning Center.

If anyone knows of other daycare centers in the midtown area, please advise.

They also asked for more laundry vouchers and I gave them what I could but

need to keep a good portion in reserve for the start of the school year.

Matt, have we gotten a meeting with NYCHA on laundry machines for the

smaller space?

Best,

Josephine

ADDENDUM I: DHS INCOME SAVINGS PLAN

Proposed Rules: Open to Comments (View Public Comments Received:2)

Log in or register to post comments

Agency:

Department of Homeless Services

Comment By: 

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Download Copy of Proposed Rule (.pdf): 

notice_of_hearing_on_dhs_rule_-_income_savings_plan_program.pdf

Section 352.35 of Title 18 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulation, authorizes the New York City Department of Homeless Services (“DHSâ€) to make this proposed rule.

Following amendments to New York Social Services Law § 36-c, DHS proposes this rule for the Income Savings Plan Program, or “ISP†Program, whose purpose is to help clients exit DHS shelters by budgeting for and developing savings to facilitate their transition to permanent housing upon shelter exit. Under the ISP Program, certain households with earned income will be required to deposit a portion of their earned income (generally 30%) to a savings account. Deposited funds will be held by the New York City Department of Social Services and will be made available to program participants upon their exit from shelter.

The ISP Program will be implemented in phases for multiple populations. This rule establishes the first phase of this program, which will apply to employed residents of DHS shelters for single adults whose earned income makes them ineligible for Cash Assistance. DHS will amend the rule as it rolls out the program to additional populations with earned income, including families with children. Participation in the ISP Program plan will be a shelter program eligibility requirement pursuant to State regulation 18 NYCRR § 352.35(f) and will be subject to the application of the temporary discontinuance of shelter requirements of State regulation 18 NYCRR § 352.35, with a provision to immediately cure a violation.

Hide

Public Hearing

Subject: 

DHS Proposed Rule – Income Savings Plan Program

Public Hearing Date: 

Tuesday, September 24, 2019 –

2:00pm to 4:00pm

Contact: 

Kathleen Lee, DHSRules@dhs.nyc.gov or 929-221-6690

Location: 

2nd Floor Auditorium

125 Worth Street Enter at Lafayette Street

New York, NY 10013