§ 50. Homeless intervention contracts. 1. The commissioner shall,
within the amounts appropriated therefor, select through a competitive
request-for-proposal process, local social services districts and
not-for-profit corporations serving homeless and at-risk households to
provide homelessness intervention services to homeless and at-risk
households. In order to ensure that contracts are awarded and services
provided in geographic areas of the state to homeless and at risk
households in greatest need, and to maximize the effect of state funds,
the commissioner shall, prior to entering into a contract with an
eligible applicant pursuant to this section, consider the extent to
which existing homelessness intervention services are available in the
local social services district and the extent to which these services
should be expanded.

2. The commissioner shall require eligible applicants to submit
operating plans in order to receive funding pursuant to this article.
Such plans shall include:

(a) a description of the homeless intervention services to be
provided, including procedures for intake, referral, outreach, the
provision of services, follow-up and anticipated outcomes;

(b) the specific population that will be served and how the services
provided will address the population's special needs;

(c) a description of the manner in which coordination with other
federal, state, local and privately funded services will be achieved;
and

(d) a description of how the services will be designed to assist
households transition from a reliance on outside interventions and move
toward housing stability and economic self reliance.

3. Prior to entering into a contract pursuant to this section, the
commissioner shall determine that the eligible applicant is a bona fide
organization which shall have demonstrated by its past and current
activities that it has the ability to provide such services, that the
organization is financially responsible and that the operating plan is
appropriate for the needs of households to be served.