BILL NUMBER: S4049

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public housing law, in relation to the performance
of a study regarding homeless persons who are veterans in the state of
New York

 
PURPOSE:

To address the alarming trend of homeless persons are veterans and
parents.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section I amends section 353 of the executive law by adding new subdivi-
sion 6-a concerning the performance of a study conducted by the New York
State Division of Veterans' Affairs, the Office of Temporary and Disa-
bility Service, Department of Labor and the Office of Children and Fami-
ly Services to determine the number of homeless persons in New York
              

State who are veterans. Once the study is completed, a written report
will be delivered to the governor and the legislature.

Section II sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

A report released in 2013 by The United States Department of Housing and
Urban Development estimates that 57,849 veterans are homeless on any
given night. Veterans, especially those with disabilities including
post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, are more
likely to become homeless. Often a higher percentage of veterans return-
ing from the current conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq demonstrate these
characteristics.

The United States Government Accountability Office reports that women
veterans identified as homeless by the VA increased more than 140
percent, from 1,350 in fiscal year 2006 to 3,328 in fiscal year 2010.
From 2016 to 2017, the number of homeless female Veterans increased by 7
percent, compared to 1 percent for their male counterparts. In a 2016
report, NCHAV found that the number of women identified by the program
as being homeless, or who were at high risk for becoming homeless and
accessed VA programs to end homelessness among female Veterans, had
tripled to 36,443 from 2010 to 2015. According to the center, that
figure is projected to rise about 9 percent more by 2025, to nearly
40,000.Homeless female veterans who are single mothers have a tough time
finding adequate shelter, daycare services, and finding gainful employ-
ment. About 3,000 of these veterans could not access shelter and one-
third had some sort of disability. These statistics are alarming and
become even more distressing when you take into account that many of
these women have children. The study and analysis would gather informa-
tion on the number of homeless veterans in New York and how many of them
have children. Ultimately, the outcome from this study would produce
recommendations and solutions to combat the growing problems among the
men and women who have served our country.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18: S2189 REFERRED TO VETERANS, HOMELAND SECURITY AND MILITARY
AFFAIRS
2016: S2575-C (Parker) - Veterans, Homeland Security and Military
Affairs
2015: S2575-8 (Parker) - Veterans, Homeland Security and Military
Affairs
2014: S908-C (Parker) - Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
2013: S908 (Parker) - Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs
2012: S6343 (Huntley) - Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs

 
FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after the bill shall
become law.