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New York City Department of Homeless Services

Department of Homeless Services
Department overview
Formed1993; 31 years ago (1993)
JurisdictionNew York City
Headquarters33 Beaver Street, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10004[1]
Employees1,949 (2015)[2]
Annual budget$2.861 Billion (FY 2021)
Department executive
  • Joslyn Carter[3][4], Administrator
Parent departmentNew York City Human Resources Administration
Child department
Key document
Websitewww.nyc.gov/dhs
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The New York City Department of Homeless Services (DHS) is an agency within the government of New York City[5] that provides services to the homeless, though its ultimate aim is to eliminate homelessness.[6] The guiding principles of the department were outlined by the New York City Commission on the Homeless in 1992: to operate an emergency shelter system for people without housing alternatives, provide services and resources to assist shelter residents in gaining independent housing, and partner with local agencies and non-profits to provide these services.[7] Its two rules are compiled in title 31 of the New York City Rules; state regulations are primarily compiled in title 18 of the New York Codes, Rules and Regulations.

History

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Created in 1993, the department was the first of its kind nationally; with a mission exclusively focused on the issue of homelessness.[7] The Department of Homeless Services was created in response to the growing number of homeless New Yorkers and the 1981 New York Supreme Court Consent Decree that mandates the State provide shelter to all homeless people.[8] Its first commissioner was Charles V. Raymond.[9] Muzzy Rosenblatt, the agency's first Chief of Staff, may have had a role in convincing Mayor David Dinkins that the homeless shelters could be run more efficiently were it a separate department from the New York City Human Resources Administration.

In 2010, the department oversaw 208 facilities with 18,616 beds and served 113,553 unique individuals.[10] As of December 2015, there were a total of 65,458 clients in the shelter system.[11] In 2015, the department's budget was $953.5 million.[2]

In a March 2015 report of the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) on shelters for families with children, the DOI "found that the family shelters it inspected and reviewed are too often unsafe and unhealthy for children and families".[12][13] In 2014 and 2015, some New Yorkers without homes said they were denied shelter because the shelter lacks resources for couples without children, and some said they refused to live in shelters because they are unsafe, because of violence, theft and poor conditions.[14][15][16]

On April 11, 2016, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that the department would again become a part of the New York City Human Resources Administration under what he termed "a joint operating agreement".[17]

Picture the Homeless heavily criticized DHS's use of resources in its 2018 report, The Business of Homelessness. The organization's recommendations included diverting funds for housing those who are homeless and most at risk of shelter entry, prioritizing capital subsidies for housing for people making as low as 10% of the area median income; semi-annual reports on shelter spending and provider performance; implementing rigorous and effective shelter inspection practices, and overhaul DHS's approach to rental assistance and housing placement.[18] The use of funds for shelters instead of housing was also a concern when the agency was formed in 1993.[9]

Administrators

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Law Enforcement

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NYC DHSPD employs over 600 special officers, according to the City of New York's budget. As of 2022, they have a planned budget for over 1,100 officers but have only been able to hire half of that in recent years. They enforce State and City laws on DHS property and are responsible for safety and security inside of NYC DHS Homeless Shelters. The New York City Police Department is responsible for responding to all incidents that occur at NYC Department of Homeless Services facilities.

Powers and authority

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NYC Department of Homeless Services Police are appointed as Special Officers and who have limited peace officer powers in connection with their special duties of employment pursuant to New York State Criminal Procedure Law § 2.10(27). The exercise of these powers are limited to the employee's geographical area of employment and only while such employee is actually on duty as listed in Chapter 13 subsection (C):[20]

Equipment

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NYC Department of Homeless Services special officers are prohibited the use of a firearm as per NYS criminal procedure law, however all officers are equipped with Tasers, expandable batons, handcuffs, flashlight, bullet resistant vest, pepper spray, body-worn cameras, Narcan, and a radio.[citation needed]

The DHS Police was started in 1997 assigning special officers to various DHS facilities. Currently there are over 600 special officers assigned at 18 facilities.[citation needed] Their motto is: "New York’s Fearless".[21]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "DHS".
  2. ^ a b Report on the Fiscal Year 2015 Executive Budget for the Department of Homeless Services Archived 2015-05-14 at the Wayback Machine, New York City Council
  3. ^ "Mayor de Blasio Appoints Joslyn Carter as Administrator of the Department of Homeless Services". New York City Office of the Mayor, July 10, 2017.
  4. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma (January 2024). "New York City Hid Realities of Homelessness Crisis, Report Finds". New York Times.
  5. ^ New York City Charter § 610; "There shall be a department of homeless services, the head of which shall be the commissioner of homeless services."
  6. ^ "New York City Department of Homelessness Services - About". New York City Department of Homelessness Services. Archived from the original on 2010-06-01. Retrieved 2010-02-28.
  7. ^ a b Campbell, G.; McCarthy, E. (2000). "Conveying Mission Through Outcome Measurement: Services to the Homeless in New York City". Policy Studies Journal. 28 (2): 338–352. doi:10.1111/j.1541-0072.2000.tb02034.x.
  8. ^ "The Callahan Consent Decree" (PDF).
  9. ^ a b Dugger, Celia W. (1993-07-26). "Homeless Shelters Drain Money From Housing, Experts Say". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  10. ^ "New York City Department of Homelessness Services - Critical Activities Report 2010" (PDF). New York City Department of Homelessness Services. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  11. ^ "New York City Department of Homelessness Services - Population Table 2016 Q2" (PDF). New York City Department of Homelessness Services. Retrieved 2018-07-25.
  12. ^ New York City Department of Investigation (12 March 2015), DOI Investigation of 25 City-Run Homeless Shelters for Families Finds Serious Deficiencies (PDF), archived from the original (PDF) on 28 May 2015, retrieved 7 September 2015
  13. ^ Hu, Winnie (12 March 2015). "Review of New York Shelter System Finds Hundreds of Violations". The New York Times.
  14. ^ Upadhye, Janet (25 March 2014). "Tillary Street Women's Shelter Rife With Violence, Residents Say". DNAinfo.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2015.
  15. ^ Villaseñor, María (16 February 2015). "Homeless men share why they prefer the streets over New York City shelters — even when cold weather hits". New York Daily News.
  16. ^ Schweber, Nate (6 September 2015). "Life on the Streets". The New York Times.
  17. ^ Stewart, Nikita (2016-04-11). "New York City Combining Agencies for Homeless and Welfare Services". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2016-04-13.
  18. ^ Jenny Akchin, Jermain Abdullah, Llima Berkeley, Cecelia Grant, Arvernetta Henry, Scott Andrew Hutchins, Charmel Lucas, Gordon James Metz, Marcus Moore, Donna Morgan, Jose Rodriguez, Althea York. The Business of Homelessness: Financial and Human Costs of the Shelter-Industrial Complex. Picture the Homeless, March 2018. http://picturethehomeless.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/PtH_White_paper5.pdf
  19. ^ Stewart, Nikita (18 December 2015). "Chief Lost Influence Amid Criticism of Mayor de Blasio's Policies on Homelessness". The New York Times.
  20. ^ "Chapter 13: Special Officer".
  21. ^ HomelessServices, NYC. "DHS POLICE IS HIRING!". youtube.com. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
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