49 - Definitions. - New York Statutes

§ 49. Definitions. For the purposes of this title, the following terms shall have the following meanings: 1. "Homeless" shall mean an undomiciled household which is unable to secure permanent and habitable housing without special assistance, as determined by the commissioner, including but not limited to households temporarily residing in emergency shelters, transitional facilities, hotels/motels, or substandard conditions. 2. "Household" shall mean a single individual or family, including couples without dependent children who, or which, are eligible to receive public assistance. 3. "Eligible applicant" shall mean local social services districts or not-for-profit corporations serving homeless and at-risk households. 4. "At-risk" shall mean a household threatened with homelessness and those with a history of frequent moves. 5. "Homelessness intervention services" shall mean services which are designed to stabilize at-risk and homeless households by avoiding homelessness or assisting households to secure permanent and habitable housing. Such services may include, but need not be limited to the following: (a) services to resolve conflicts between landlords and tenants and to facilitate fair and workable solutions; (b) legal services to households threatened with the loss of their homes through eviction, harassment or other means; (c) tenant activities to educate households in the areas of tenant rights and responsibilities, and to organize tenants to remedy housing problems such as code violations, landlord abandonment and harassment; (d) benefits/entitlements advocacy to ensure that households are receiving all federal, state and local benefits to which they are entitled, such as temporary assistance to needy families, safety net assistance, food stamps, supplemental security income, rent security deposits, furniture and household moving expenses; (e) relocation assistance which provides for the identification of and referral to permanent and habitable housing, transportation services, landlord/tenant lease negotiation services and assistance in establishing utility services; and (f) the provision of or referral to support services designed to stabilize households in permanent and habitable housing including services related to substance abuse, domestic violence, housekeeping, budgeting, education, day care, employment, parenting, mental health, physical health, and such other services deemed necessary by the office of temporary and disability assistance. Service provided to homeless households pursuant to this paragraph must be provided for a period of at least six months beginning the first day of the month following the month in which such household secured permanent housing.