Department of Homeless Services ‘Stoven Banks ‘Commissionex/Adminstrator Human Resources ‘Administration/Depariment of ‘Social Services. 33 Beaver Street {Th Floor New York, NY 10004 212.361.8000 212:361.800%ty 212.361 7997Kax ‘March 27, 2017 Honorable Bill de Blasio Mayor City Hall New York, N.Y. 10007 ‘Dear Mayor de Blasio: ‘The Department of Homeless Services (“DHS” or the “Agency”) seeks to register a Contract (“Contract”) with CORE Services Group, Inc. (“CORE” ot the “Provider”). DHS awarded the Contract to CORE pursuant to its Open Ended Request for Proposals for Shelter (“OERFP”). Under the proposed Contract, CORE will operate a shelter with 104 beds for homeless single adults ("Site” or “Facility”) at 1173 Bergen Street, New York, 11213 (“Building”). The proposed Site consists of a two-story 16,272-square-foot building located on a 10,310 square-foot lot in the Crown Heights neighborhood of the Brooklyn Community District 8 (“CD 8”). Under the proposed contract, starting on March 27, 2017, CORE will provide temporary housing and related social services to 104 single adult men aged 62. and over with a focus on sheltering such single adults who previously resided in Brooklyn, particularly Central Brooklyn, Pursuant to Section 203 of the New York City Charter, DHS submits this Fair Share Analysis (“Analysis”) to the Mayor, with copies to the affected Community Board, Borough President, and Department of City Planning (“DCP”). This Analysis considers and weighs the Fair Share Criteria (“Criteria”) developed by the City Planning Commission and embodied in Title 62 of the Rules of the City of New York. The Criteria include factors such as service needs (including the City’s legal mandate to shelter all homeless men, women, and children on an immediate basis), the efficient and costeffective delivery of services, potential effects on neighborhood character, and concentration of similar facilities. PROJECT OVERVIEW A. About CORE Founded in 2005 and based in Brooklyn, CORE’s mission is to empower individuals, families and communities to access and maintain employment, gain independence, and live stable and satisfying lives in communities in which they become contributing and productive residents. CORE provides more than 800 beds of emergency, transitional and shelter-based housing and case management services. CORE serves New York's most vulnerable—homeless families and single adults, and runaway youth.CORE provides emergency and transitional housing on behalf of DHS, the New York City Housing Preservation & Development (HPD), the New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA), the New York City Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). B. CORE’ ion. Shelter CORE’s primary goal is to help homeless single adults quickly obtain affordable and decent permanent housing. At the Facility, CORE will provide safe and secure temporary housing and provide a variety of on- site services including, but not limited to, case management, health screening and medication management, and vocational and housing placement. Residential services will include daily meals and snacks; vending ‘machines; recteation rooms; laundry room; linen/towel exchange; toiletry care packages; wake-up assistance; transportation; custodial/maintenance; fire safety; and 24/7 security. Within 24 hours of entry to the Site, clients meet with Facility staff to complete an intake orientation session during which clients are informed of the Facility’s services and guidelines for residence and termination. Additionally, CORE will maintain a discreet, safe area for clients in emotional distress or other situations requiring isolation from the general population of the shelter: Within the first 48 hours of entry to the Facility, CORE, will assign each client to a case manager who will conduct a full assessment of the client’s family, educational and vocational history, skills and abilities, alcohol or substance use and abuse, physical and mental health, and housing history as well as psycho-social and medical needs. CORE, will provide a full-time nurse to assist clients with their medical needs. Assessments will also include preliminary screening for eligibility for public benefits. Additionally, based on client assessments, case managers will refer clients for medical or other in-depth treatment. CORE has partnered with Brightpoint Health and Adult Career and Continuing Education (Access-VR) fot medical and psychiatric services. Case managers will also work with clients to establish an initial Independent Living Plan (“ILP”), and a potential housing placement date. On-going service planning includes meeting with clients on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to identify and set educational, vocational, and housing goals. Case Managers and Employment and Housing Specialists will work with clients to overcome employment barriers and to identify housing programs and subsidies for which the clients are eligible. In addition to the above service planning, CORE teaches its clients independent living skills in order to help its clients remain stably housed within the community. To that end, CORE provides clients with workshops fon employment (job seatch, resume writing and interviewing skills), housing readiness, budgeting (entitlement and income management on a fixed budget), banking (opening an account), using community resources, basic reading and math for independent living, grocery shopping and meal planning, time ‘management, healthy living (smoking cessation, nutrition, 12-step), and recreation. ‘The Contract requires CORE to comply with DHS’ policies and procedures and the apy CORE will be subject to the requirements embodied in state regulations (se 18 NYCRR Part 491) and to inspection by the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (‘OTDA”), a DHS oversight agencyCity and State Oversight 1. The Contract DHS awarded the Contract to CORE pursuant to its submission of a proposal under the OERFP. On March 27, 2017, at the Facility, CORE. will begin to provide temporary housing and related social services to 104 single adult men aged 62 and over with a focus on sheltering such single adults who previously resided in Brooklyn, particularly Central Brooklyn. Like all other shelter contracts, the Contract imposes obligations on CORE with respect to, among other things, the provision of social services, facility maintenance, security, and financial documentation and reporting. Additionally, working with each client, CORE must develop an ILP that identifies specific goals toward permanency, establishes a timetable for the achievement of each goal, and states specific concrete tasks that the client will undertake to achieve each goal. The specific goals in the ILP directly address barriers to permanency as identified in the client's assessment, and the overarching goal of the plan is re housing in the community with the supports necessary to prevent the client from experiencing anothet episode of homelessness. (See Section LB. above) ‘The Contract also requires CORE to ensure that clients obey all rules, including adherence to a strict 10 pam. evening curfew, to ensure safety and order inside the Site. (See Sections LC.(3) and I1.4.1(b).) In addition, DHS works to respond and remediate concerns raised by the affected communities and elected officials. Accordingly, as required by all DHS shelter contracts, CORE will form a Community Advisory Board (“CAB”) and implement a Good Neighbor Plan (“GNP”). The purpose of the CAB is to solicit and address community issues. The purpose of the GNP is to address how quality of life issues in the immediate area of the Site will be handled. 2 sical Inspection and Perform: tori DHS oversees and monitors the performance of its service providers, including CORE, through comprehensive bi-annual site inspections and performance reviews. The results of these evaluations and inspections are recorded in a report; in response to deficiencies, the provider must submit a Corrective Action Plan, All of DHS's service providers are subject to audit by the City and State Comptroller and by DHS’ internal auditors. In addition, NYS OTDA has the authority to conduct an annual on-site review and inspection, consisting of an evaluation of the provider's performance in rendering services to clients and a physical inspection of the Site. The Site is subject to these inspection and monitoring requirements. 3. lient Ri bili Through DHS’ client responsibility progtam, clients are held accountable for working diligently with facility staff to follow their ILP in order to transition into permanent housing as quickly as possible. DHS clients must obey all shelter rules, which are designed to ensure safety and order inside the Facility. These rules include a strict 10 p.m. curfew. Rules and regulations are reviewed with clients during the intake process andreinforced during regular meetings with case management staff. In addition, an individual's shelter stay may be discontinued if he engages in disruptive or gross misconduct, or dangerous of illegal behavior. D. The City’s Legal Obligation ‘The City of New York is mandated by law and court order to provide temporary housing to every eligible homeless family and individual who seeks it. Under State and local law, and the Consent Decree rendered in Callaban v, Carey (the “Consent Dectee”),' DHS is required to immediately provide temporary shelter to all eligible homeless men and women who apply for temporary housing assistance. As a practical matter, this means that the Agency must shelter homeless adults the very same day that they apply to DHS. Accordingly, DHS must, and does, successfully shelter homeless individuals 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and 365 days a year, in every Borough. In 1986, New York State enacted regulations that not only codified key provisions of the Consent Decree, but also mandated more stringent shelter standards than those enunciated in it. Additionally, DHS’ mission is to prevent homelessness wherever possible, and to provide short-term emergency shelter and re-housing support whenever needed. In accordance with the legal mandate, and consistent with DHS’ mission, DHS partners with hundreds of shelter providers, business and faith-based leaders, and community members to meet the needs of homeless New Yorkers. Over the past three years, as patt of its comprehensive strategy to reduce homelessness, the Administration priotitized the placement of homeless New Yorkers into permanent housing as part of the commitment to combat poverty, prevent and alleviate homelessness, and expand affordable housing. In accordance with these commitments, the City implemented new rental assistance programs and other permanent housing initiatives for homeless adults and children (¢.g., Living in Community (“LINC”) I, II, and III, SEPS and CITYFEPS, TBRA), New York City Public Housing Authority (NYCHA) public housing, NYCHA and HPD Section 8 housing, supportive housing and other public benefits. ‘These initiatives have enabled 53,668 adults and children in 19,457 households to avert entry into ot move out of City shelters since the programs started in July 2014. Additionally, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development certified that the City ended chronic veteran homelessness in 2015. Over the course of three years, the City placed 3,153 homeless veterans into permanent housing, thereby reducing the overall number of homeless veterans by two-thirds. Also, regarding permanent housing, since January 2016, when the City launched a task force to create 15,000 units of permanent, affordable supportive housing, the City has awarded contracts to 11 organizations for the development of $50 units this yeat. In addition to rental subsidies and public housing placements, DHS has also increased prevention and diversion efforts at Intake Facilities as well as in assessment program shelters. The City has increased investment in the Homebase program, a community based social services program which aims to prevent homelessness. The City has greatly expanded its free legal services program, which has grown from $6 nillion in the ptiot Administration to $62 million. Evictions have now decreased by 24% since 2014 when the City expanded its legal services program. Finally, our latest diversion initiatives have HRA staff stationed at designated shelters, as well as having a roving team of staff visiting key sites each week, to help troubleshoot and resolve any cash assistance issues impacting eligibility for rental subsidy programs, as well as identifying new opportunities for diversion. + “Final Judgment by Consent,” Index No. 42582/79, Sup. Ct, N-Y. Co. (August 26, 1981). Provisions of the Consent Decree were held applicable to homeless women in Eldredge». Koch, 118 Mise. 2d 163 (N.Y. Co, 1982) 4With respect to street homelessness, the 2016 annual federally-mandated Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) street homeless sutvey found that 2,794 homeless individuals were living on the streets of New York City in February 2016, 12 % fewer than the prior year and 36 % fewer than the first conducted by the City in 2005. Additionally, the City has implemented a quarterly nighttime street count to ‘complement the annual fedetal HOPE count requirement and provide more information to target services to bring homeless New Yorkers in from the streets, ‘Moreover, in March 2016, the City began implementation of HOME-STAT (Homeless Outreach & Mobile Engagement Street Action Teams). Partnering with existing homeless response and prevention programs actoss multiple city agencies (DHS, HRA, NYPD), HOME-STAT is the most comprehensive street homelessness outreach effort ever deployed in a major US. city. HOME-STAT increases the City’s ability to identify homeless individuals on the street from Canal Street to 145th Street and in other hot spots, and deploy outreach resources (social services, medical and benefits assistance) where they are needed most. As part of HOME-STAT, the NYPD has redeployed 40 additional officers to its 70-officer Homeless Outreach Unit to respond to calls concerning street homeless persons, encampments, large hot spots and those individuals experiencing emotional disturbances or exhibiting erratic behavior. Last year, the City moved 690 street homeless individuals into transitional programs or permanent housing. Despite the fact that the City has achieved a 12% decline in street homelessness and that rental assistance and rehousing initiatives have enabled 53,668 children and adults in 19,457 households to avert entry into ot move out of City shelters since 2014, the vacancy rate in the adult shelter system is still below 1%, A low vacancy rate causes concern, not only because it indicates a shelter census that is nearly outpacing supply, but also because it limits DHS’ abilities to effectively manage its shelter system in a manner most conducive to the individuals it serves. The City is still suffering from the impact of the loss of thousands of units of affordable housing over the last decade. These losses are compounded by the fact that incomes have not kept pace with rising rents, so that many New Yorkers pay as much as 50% of their income in rent. Furthermore, the City has not recovered from the sudden termination of the Advantage rental assistance program in the 2011 State budget that resulted in a 38% increase in homelessness. In “Turning the Tide on Homelessness in New York City” (the “City Plan”), to transform the shelter system that has built up haphazardly over nearly four decades, the Mayor has now committed DHS to reducing the total number of shelter facilities in the City by 45% by vacating 360 locations and replacing them with a smaller number of approximately 90 high quality borough-based shelters. Borough-based shelter placement is a new approach that will, over time, enable DHS to offer shelter placements for homeless families and individuals in their home borough. This approach will create a more equitable distribution of homeless services across the city, allowing homeless New Yorkers to remain in their ‘communities and close to their networks of support — their schools, their work, their social networks, their houses of worship ~ at a time when they need that support and stability most. E. Meeting Shelter Demand through the Open-Ended REP Process ‘The Agency ensures there is sufficient capacity to meet demand through the OEREP Process maintained by DHS and allowed under the City’s Procurement Policy Board (“PPB”) Rules. Through this process, non. profit organizations submit proposals in which they offer their services as shelter operators. DHS reviews and rates the proposals to determine whether it will enter into 2 contract for units and services proposed. After determining that a proposal and its location are suitable for shelter, DHS commences the procurement 5process, which entails multiple levels of review by various City agencies, such as the Mayor’s Office of Contracts, the Office of Management and Budget, the State Financial Control Board, and the Law Department. The process ends with the Comptroller's registration of an executed contract. The procurement process also includes public review of the draft contract, including a public hearing and submission of a Fair Share Analysis. In this instance, DHS awarded the Contract to CORE pursuant to its OERFP for shelters. DHS notified CORE of its final award on March 13, 2017 and scheduled a public hearing on the Contract. The City holds public hearings on contracts monthly and April 20, 2017 is the next scheduled public hearing date. Advance notice of the hearing’s date, time, and location will be advertised in the City Record. In addition, from April 7, 2017 through April 20, 2017, a draft of the proposed Contract will be available at offices of the New York City Department of Social Services for public review. ll. _ FAIRSHARE ANALYSIS ‘The analysis below describes DHS’ consideration of the Fair Share Criteria applicable to the use of the Site. Article 4: Criteria for Siti ing Facilities 4.1(a) Compatibility of the facility with existing facilities and programs in the immediate vicinity of the site. The physical environment of the Site is designed to provide a clean and safe environment for homeless single adults to receive temporary housing while they receive social services designed to assist them in obtaining permanent housing, The Site consists of a two-story, 16,272 square-foot building located on a 10,310 square-foot lot. The Facility is located at 1173 Bergen Street, between Brooklyn and New York Avenues, in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. The Facility is located in an R-6 zoning district, a medium density residential district which includes both small and large multi-family residential buildings. ‘The Map and Facilities List, annexed to this Analysis as Exhibits A and B, respectively, illustrate and name City and non-City facilities and residential ambulatory programs within a 400-foot and half-mile radius of the Site. There are no DHS shelter facilities within a 400-foot radius of the Site. There ate six DHS facilities within a half-mile radius of the Site: one shelter for adult families, one shelter for single adults, and four facilities for families with children (three shelters and one commercial hotel). Including the Site, there are thirteen DHS facilities within CD 8: the Site, two single adult shelters, one adult family shelter and nine facilities for families with children (eight shelters and one commercial hotel). ‘The use of the Facility to provide temporary housing for homeless single adults is compatible and consistent with the immediate vicinity and surrounding area, which includes residential buildings, and will not adversely impact the character of the community. 4.1(b) Extent to which neighborhood character would be adversely affected by a concentration of City and/or non-City facilities. ‘As discussed below, the use of the Facility as temporary shelter is compatible with the immediate vicinity and surrounding neighborhood (half-mile radius). The comprehensive safety and security procedures 6implemented at the Facility, and the provision of on-site services by an adequately staffed program, serve to minimize the potential for adverse effects on the surrounding neighborhood. ‘Therefore, the use of the Facility to shelter homeless single adults is not expected to cteate or contribute to a concentration of like facilities that would adversely affect neighborhood character. City and Non-City Facilities As described above, the Site is located in Brooklyn CD 8 in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. ‘The prominent land uses for the CD 8, from largest to smallest include one-to-two family residential, multi- family residential, institutions and mixed residential /commercial. To determine whether the Site would create or contribute to a concentration of facilities, DHS reviewed: the DCP’s New York City’s Owned and Leased Properties List; the Citywide Statement of Needs for City Facilities/ Fiscal Years 2017-2018 and Comments on Citywide Statement of Needs for City Falties/ Fiscal Year 2017- 2018; DCPs’ City Planning Facilites Database (FacDB); and the Fiscal Year 2017 Statement of Community District Needs and Community Board Budget Requests for Brooklyn Community Board 8 (“District Needs Statement”? The halE- mile radius surrounding the Site extends from just south of Jefferson Avenue to the north, just west of Troy Avenue to the east, just north of Union Street to the south and Franklin Avenue to the west. ‘The Map and Facilities List (Exs. A and B, respectively) illustrate and name City and non-City facilities and residential ambulatory programs within a half-mile radius of the Site. Included in this geographic perimeter are: eleven public schools; eight charter schools; eight private schools; one unspecified school; twenty-three food pantries or feeding sites; rwo soup kitchens; twenty summer only feeding sites; five playgrounds /sposts areas’; one jointly-opetated playground; one public library; one hospital; two parks; two neighborhood parks; one garden; one museum; one parkway; five State Historic places six Neighborhood Development Area Programs (two of which are co-located)*; one Legal Services Initiative’, one pedestrian plaza; one triangle; one community centet program; ten government offices; one Long-Term Administrative Center; ‘one USDA facility; five music\multi-disciplinary\ performing arts facilities; one pre-school for children with disabilities; ten group day cate facilities; nineteen Pre-Kindergarten or New York City Early Childhood Education Centers; one Four Year Independent Educational Institution; six camps (three of which are co- located); five COMPASS facilities; one educational skills center; three General Preventative Care facilities (two of which are co-located)"; one dance center; twelve youth programs (five of which are co-located) two Diagnostic and Treatment Centers; three Diagnostic and Treatment Center Extension Clinics; four Outpatient Mental Health facilities (two of which are co-located in the same building at Interfaith Medical Cente); one supportive housing facility; one mental health support facility; one inpatient mental health * The Fiscal Year 2017 Statement of Community District Needs and Community Board Budget Requests for Brooklyn Community Board 8 ("District Needs Statement”) can be found at Ihtp:/ /www1 nycgov/assets/planning download /pa/community community sortal/statement_needs/bRO8. statement_2017.pdf Items Numbered 43 and 190 on the List of City Facilities within a Half Mile of the Proposed Site are duplicates of Items 42 and 1189 and thus are only counted once in this Analysis “Stems Numbered 80 and 93 on the List of City Facilities within a Hal Mile of the Proposed Site are duplicates of Items 75 and 91 and thus are only counted once in this Analysis. * Items Numbered 79, 84 and 85 on the List of City Facilities within « HalE-Mile of the Proposed Site are duplicates and thus ate ly counted once in this Analysis, “Items Numbered 56, 97 and 138 on the List of City Facilities within a Half Mile of the Proposed Site are duplicates and thus are only counted once in this Analysis.facility (co-located in the same building with outpatient chemical dependency programs, a hospital outpatient mental health programs and an emergency mental health program at Interfaith Medical Center); one Emergency Intervention Services Center; two Residential facilities for chemical dependency; three outpatient facilities for chemical dependency (all of which are co-located in the same building at Interfaith Medical Center); one Center fot Crisis Chemical Dependency (which is co-located in the same building at Interfaith Medical Centet); one facility for the evaluation of mental health services; three tow truck companies; five commetcial garages; six DHS facilities (one shelter for adult families, one shelter for single adults, and four facilities for families with children (three shelters and one commercial hotel)); one trade waste carter site’; one commercial parking lot; three neighborhood senior centers; and New York City Transit and Other Maintenance Facility. ‘Many of the basic needs of the residents are met by the full continuum of services provided by CORE on site, as described in this Section and Sections I.B. and LC. The use of the Facility is compatible and consistent with the area within the surrounding neighborhood, which includes primarily one-to-two family tesidential; multi-family residential; open space/recreation; vacant land; and community facilities such as schools, group care centers and food pantries. Therefore, the use of the Facility to shelter homeless single adults will not significantly alter the concentration of like facilites in the area or have an adverse effect on the surrounding neighborhood. Program Staffing CORE monitors staff performance and all staff receive continued training for their positions. A Facility Director will oversee the Site. A full-time Director of Social Services will lead the delivery of case ‘management services. ‘Two full-time Social Workers (one who specializes in geriatric services and the other who specializes in substance abuse/addiction recovery services) will oversee case management staff. Four full-time case managers will deliver social services to clients from 9:00am to 11:30pm, weekly, from Monday through Friday. One full-time Employment and two full-time Entitlement Specialists will provide services to clients from 8:30am to 5:30pm, weekly, from Moniday to Friday. ‘Two full-time Housing Specialists will provide housing placement services to clients from 9:00am to 5:30pm, weekly, from Monday through Friday. This staffing plan ensures that CORE provides services in accordance with DHS's prescribed 1:20 case management ratio. As discussed in Section LB., CORE will provide a full-time nurse who will assist clients with medical matters and health services, weekly, from 8:30am to 4:30pm, from Monday through Friday, except that on ‘Thursday, the nurse will be available to clients from 11:30am to 7:30pm. Additionally, CORE will provide two fulltime Certified Nursing Assistants and two full-time Licensed Practical Nurses to assist clients from 8:00am to 4:00pm, seven days per week. All Facility staff will have an understanding of the client population, best practices for working with homeless clients, and approptiate crisis interventions. Program staff will support health management, wellness, smoking cessation and other health initiatives. As part of their onboarding and throughout theit tenure, staff will receive training on a multitude of subjects including, but not limited to: DHS’s Client Assistance Rehousing Enterprise System (“CARES”), and other computer systems, crisis intervention, cultural competencies, conflict resolution and de-escalation, harm reduction techniques, mental illness, " Items Numbered 122 and 123 on the List of City Facilities within a HalfMile of the Proposed Site are duplicates and thus are only counted once ia this Analysis.motivational interviewing, CPR, substance abuse, basic psychiatric conditions, and other trainings deemed appropriate by management staff. As described above in Sections ILA. and IL.C., and in this Section, the provision of on-site services with adequate and approptiate staff will serve to minimize any impact on the surrounding neighborhood. Safety and Security Plan/Enforcing Site Rules Recognizing the vital importance of maintaining Site security at all times, the security plan for the Site is designed to provide a safe environment for all residents, staff, and visitors. CORE’s security plan employs fifteen full-time Residential Monitors, five full-time Shift Supervisors, and six full-time licensed Secutity Guards 24 hours per day, seven days per week to help secure the Site. CORE’s staff will secure all of the Facility’s entrances and exits at all times. CORE will provide metal detectors at entry points. Additionally, cameras connected to a Closed Citcuit Television (CCTV) Video Surveillance system will be will be used to enhance security in and around the Building, Shift Supervisors and Residential Monitors will patrol the Facility and the perimeter to ensure the safety of clients and staff and to minimize the facility's impact on the community. Security staff will conduct weekly Facility searches to deter the storage of contraband. Moreover, CORE will deploy two community engagement staff to conduct neighborhood patrols and hourly external patrols of the Facility, within a minimum three-block radius, to ensure that the Facility’s residents are adhering to the GNP. This model has been reviewed by the New York Police Department (“NYPD”) and ensures that there is sufficient secutity staff on-site and at all times. The NYPD Security Management team has been working with DHS since April 2016 and has implemented a crime prevention reporting system and a daily tisk assessment report; created an assessment instrument for staffing deployment at shelter facilities; conducted specialized training for DHS Peace Officers; instituted procedures for conducting searches in shelters; and upgraded security at hotels covered by private security guards. Pursuant to contractual obligations, all program staff are responsible for reinforcing all Site rules and DHS procedures, including adherence to an evening curfew (10 p.m.), which are designed to ensure safety and order inside the Site. Rules and procedures are discussed with clients upon initial entry to the Site, and adherence to rules and procedures is reinforced in the course of case management discussions. In addition, all residents of the Site are subject to discontinuance of shelter if they engage in illegal, dangerous, or disruptive conduct. In sum, the comprehensive safety and secutity procedures implemented at the Site serve to minimize potential adverse effects on the suttounding neighborhood, 4.1(0) Suitability of Site to provide efficient and cost-effective delivery of the intended services. As explained in Sections LD. and LE. above, DHS faces a number of challenges in locating shelters throughout New York City. This is due to a number of complex factors, one of which is unique to the shelter system; namely, the City is mandated undet court order and state law to shelter all eligible homeless New Yorkers on an immediate basis. The practical effect of this legal mandate is that the City must be ready at all times to add capacity to meet demand. As explained above, this is particularly challenging given that conditions giving rise to increased demand are beyond the City’s control: the loss of thousands of units of affordable housing over the last decade; the sudden termination of the Advantage rental assistance program 9in the 2011 State budget resulted in a 38% increase in homelessness from which the City has not yet recovered; and the present rental climate in New York City where the rental vacancy rate remains well below five (5) percent and rental units “available for low rents are] extremely scarce.” These conditions drive increases in the shelter system for single adults. Moreover and as further discussed in Sections I1.6.1(b) and 6.53(c), opening new shelters is a complicated process. Following the identification of an appropriate building, the non-profit vendor proposing the project must negotiate a lease with the landlord, submit a detailed proposal to DHS, secure various oversight approvals, and hire the necessary staff to operate the program. For all of these reasons, DHS’s ability to choose among alternative sites is limited. In sum, the distribution of shelters among community districts — and in this case, the distribution of such facilities in CD &— must be viewed in this particular context. The total atea of the two-story Facility is approximately 16,272 square feet, which provides sufficient space to shelter up 104 homeless single adults. The Facility includes sufficient space for the provision of a vatiety of on-site services, including case management, re-housing assistance, and other support services. Additional services are provided through linkages with other programs and community-based organizations. ‘The size of the Facility and the availability of on-site social services generate economies of scale in personnel costs for the provision of supportive services and fixed costs related to building maintenance and operation. ‘The contract rate to be paid to CORE is within the range of rates that DHS pays to other social service providers that operate similar programs. As further discussed in Sections II.4.1(d) and 1.6.1(@) below, the Site’s proximity to public transportation and major thoroughfares allow its residents and staff to access the Site in a convenient and cost-effective manner. Therefore, the Site is well-suited for providing cost-effective services to homeless single adults, 4.1(@) Consistency with criteria in Statement of Need or in a submission to the Borough President. ‘The Citywide Statement of Needs for City Fasilities/ Fiscal Years 2017-2018 identified the following criterion for the siting of new and existing Transitional Facilities for Homeless Individuals and Families: '* Access to public transportation. ‘The location of the Facility is consistent with this ctitetion, As described in Section II-6.1(d) below, the Site is served by several Metropolitan Transportation Authority (“MTA”) bus and subway lines, which allows clients and staff to travel to and from the Site with ease. 4.1(e) Consistency with any plan adopted pursuant to Section 197-a of the Charter. ‘There are no adopted 197-a plans applicable to the area in which the Site is located. 4.2(a) Consideration of the Mayor's and Borough President’s Strategic Policy Statement and Community Board’s Statement of District Needs. * Selected Initial Findings of the 2014 New York City Hlowing and Vacancy Survoy, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, at 3 (February 9, 2015). The survey found that the “rental vacancy rate in 2014 for units with asking rents of less than $800 was just 1.80 percent” 10In his 2015 Brookism Borough Presidents Strategic Policy Statement, Brooklyn Borough President Exic L. Adams (‘Borough President”) noted the high census numbers in the City’s shelter system, and outlined his goal to sustainably transition homeless individuals into permanent housing. To achieve this goal, the Borough President described his intent to work with DHS to dectease the reliance on the shelter system and increase the creation of supportive permanent housing; educate landlords on the LINC" program to help shelter residents transition to permanent housing; and hold a resource fair to highlight DHS’s Homebase program, Finally, the Borough President noted that although DHS has overseen a 24% drop in the unsheltered homeless population since 2005, there were still 3,400 New Yorkers sleeping on the streets in 2014. In its District Needs Statement, Brooklyn Community Board 8 (“CB 8”) stated that, “Many of the shelters in District 8 lack the adequate tools necessary to provide their residents with the necessary resources to assist them with getting back on their feet and re-entering stable housing environments. This is a disservice to the men, women, and children that reside in these shelters and a greater affront to the community that houses the shelter.” Granville, Section 4.1.3 at page 12, Fiscal Year 2017 Statement of Community District Needs and Community Board Budget Requests for Brookbn Community Board 8 (December 2015). CB 8 further requested additional funding and resources for the expansion of programs (subsidies and vouchers for permanent housing), homelessness prevention programs and programs for homeless veterans. CORE's operation of this Facility and the City’s multi-faceted plan for homelessness are designed to address the concerns raised by the residents of CD 8. Under the Contract, CORE will administer a service-tich, housing-focused program that emphasizes placing clients into permanent housing and teaches independent living skills to help chient remain stably housed. ‘The City continues to prioritize homelessness prevention, outreach, and the placement of homeless families and individuals into permanent housing through programs as part of its comprehensive strategy to reduce the umber of homeless individuals and the need for a numbet of shelters, including those located in CD 8. And, as stated, the City Plan will reduce the number of shelter facilities in the City by 45% by replacing 360 shelter facilities with a much smaller number of 90 new high quality shelters. Regarding prevention, the City has increased investment in the Homebase program, a community based social services program which aims to prevent homelessness, as well as tenant legal assistance. Evictions have decreased by 24% since 2014, when the City expanded available legal services. Regarding housing and the siting of homeless facilities, since 2014, the City’s rental assistance and rehousing programs have enabled 53,668 adults and children in 19,457 households to either exit or avert entry into the City’s shelter system. Additionally, in 2015, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development certified that the City ended chronic veteran homelessness. Over three years, the City placed 3,153 homeless veterans into permanent housing and reduced the overall number of homeless veterans by ‘two-thirds. Moreover, in January 2016, the City launched a task force to create 15,000 units of permanent, affordable supportive housing. To date, the City has awarded contracts to 11 organizations for the development of 550 units of permanent, affordable supportive housing this year. LINC is a rental assistance program for low-income families and single adults living in homeless ox domestic violence shelters. It was created to help move families and single adults out of shelter and into stable housing. Priority is given to households that have lived in shelter the longest uWith respect to street homelessness, the 2016 annual federally-mandated HOPE street homeless survey found that 2,794 homeless individuals were living on the streets of New York City in February 2016, 12 percent fewer than last year and 36 % fewer than the first survey conducted by the City in 2005. Additionally, the City conducts a quarterly nighttime street count, which complements the annual federal HOPE count requirement and provides mote information to target services designed to bring homeless New Yorkers in from the streets, Regarding outreach and social services for vulnerable populations, the City began implementation of HOME-STAT. Partnering with existing homeless response and prevention programs across multiple City agencies (DHS, HRA, NYPD), HOME-STAT is the most comprehensive street homelessness outreach effort ever deployed in a major U.S. city. HOME-STAT increases the City’s ability to identify homeless individuals on the street from Canal Street to 145th Street and in other hot spots, and deploy outreach resources (social services, medical and benefits assistance) where they are needed most. Last year, the City moved 690 street homeless individuals into transitional programs or permanent housing. While DHS strongly believes these initiatives and programs will ultimately reduce the demand for and reliance on the City’s shelter system, DHS must continue to ensure that it has enough capacity to meet its legal obligations on an immediate basis. DHS will continue to respond and remediate the concerns regarding the siting of shelter facilities raised by the CB 8. All DHS shelter contracts require shelter providers to regularly convene a CAB (See Section 1.C.(1) above). 4.2(b) Meetings, consultation or communications with the Community Board and/or Borough President. On ot about February, 15, 2017, the City notified, by telephone, elected and community representatives of the proposed Facility. The City then held a Town Hall on March 4, 2017 to discuss the operation of the Facility. DHS provided a fact sheet at the March 4" Town Hall and presented the proposed capacity of the Facility, programmatic approach, and security information as well as the density of shelters in the surrounding areas, The City held a subsequent Town Hall on March 15, 2017. Prior to that March 15 ‘Town Hall, DHS provided written answers to the questions raised by the residents during the March 4" ‘Town Hall and changed the target population from homeless single adult men aged 50 and over to aged 62 and over in response to previous community feedback. In addition to the above meetings with the ‘community, DHS will deliver copies of this fair share notification to the Borough President, CB 8 and the elected representatives of the Site. 6.1(a) Need for the Facility. As discussed in Sections ILD. and LE., the City of New York is mandated by law and court order to provide temporary housing to every eligible homeless family and individual on an immediate basis. The number of homeless individuals and families applying for shelter has been high in recent years and that trend continues to date. Thetefote, the need for additional units, including those at the Site, is critical. As discussed in Sections ILA. and 1.C. and I.4.1(b), CORE provides a wide range of on-site services to the residents of the Site to assist them in obtaining suitable permanent housing, and subsequently remaining stably housed in the community. 126.1(b) Distribution of similar facilities throughout the City. ‘The DHS shelter system is comprised of shelters for homeless families with children, adult families, and single adults. DHS shelters are located in every borough throughout the City and most Community Districts as follows: 28% of all shelters are in Manhattan, 32% are in the Bronx, 28% are in Brooklyn, 10% are in Queens, and 1% are in Staten Island. With respect to single adult shelter facilities, 19% are located in the Bronx, 33% are in Brooklyn, 38% are in Manhattan, 10% ate in Queens, and 1% are located in Staten Island. ‘There are no DHS shelter facilities within a 400-foot radius of the Site. There are six DHS facilities within a half-mile radius of the Site: one shelter for adult families, one shelter for single adults, and four facilities for families with children (three shelters and one commercial hotel). Including the Site, there are thirteen DHS facilities within CD &: the Site, two single adult shelters, one adult family shelter and nine facilities for families with children (cight shelters and one commercial hotel). 6.1(0) Size of the Facility. In determining the appropriate capacity for the Site, DHS and CORE considered the number of persons who could appropriately be housed in the space available at the Site with adequate support services and on- site staff, while maintaining economies of scale. DHS and CORE, determined that the Site can properly accommodate up to 104 homeless single adults 6.1() Adequacy of the streets and transit. ‘The Site is served by public transportation and is in close proximity to a bus station operated by the MTA. The “3” train is located three blocks from the Kingston Avenue station, ‘The “3” train provides access to Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. The “C”, train is located 0.5 miles away from the Site at the Nostrand Avenue stop and provides direct access to Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. The B65 is located 315 feet from the Site at the Bergen Street\New York Avenue stop. The BOS connects to the “2” subway line at the Bergen Street station, ‘The “2” provides access to Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Additionally, the B44 bus line is located one block west of the Site on Nostrand Avenue and the B43 is located one block east of the Site on Kingston Avenue. Also, the Nostrand Avenue station provides access to the Long Island Rail Road, which is located approximately 0.2 miles from the Site. Several major highways are easily accessible from the Site, providing access to the New York Metropolitan area, including airports. The Jackie Robinson Parkway, 1-278, Belt Parkway and North Conduit to Adantic Avenue is about 8 miles from the Site. The Grand Central Parkway via the Jackie Robinson Parkway provides access to LaGuardia Airport. JFK airport is accessible via the North Conduit and Belt Parkway which connects to 1-678. Both the Grand Central Parkway and 1-278 provide access to Manhattan, Queens, the Bronx as well as Brooklyn via connection to the Belt Parkway. Thus, the Site is conveniently located ‘near numerous bus routes and major vehicular thoroughfares as well as several subway lines. 136.51 Concentration of facilities providing similar services. DHS does not anticipate any significant cumulative negative impact on neighborhood character because of the use of the Site, nor would such use contribute to a concentration of facilities that provide similar services. There are no DHS shelter facilities within a 400-foot radius of the Site. There are six DHS facilities within a half-mile radius of the Site: one shelter for adult families, one shelter for single adults, and four facilities for families with children (three shelters and one commercial hotel). Including the Site, there are thirteen DHS facilities within CD &: the Site, two single adult shelters, one adult family sheltet and nine facilities for families with children (cight shelters and one commercial hotel). (See Sections 11.4.1(a), 6.1(6), and 6.53(a)) As desctibed in Sections I.A.C and I1.4.2(b), CORE’s range of on-site social services and security measures serve to minimize any potential impact on neighborhood character. Finally, as discussed in Sections 11.4.1(@)-(b), the use of the Facility as housing for homeless single adults fits within the context of the neighborhood. 6.52 Necessary support services for the Facility and its residents should be available and Provided. Upon registration of the Contract, CORE will continue to provide on-site services to homeless single adults at the Facility in accordance with its contractual obligations. As discussed in Section I1.4.1(b), the Site is adequately staffed to provide clients with the services they need to exit the shelter and move into permanent housing as expeditiously as possible. As discussed in Section ILC. above, DHS oversees and monitors CORE’s performance through regular ‘communication between DHS and CORE program staff, site inspections, and performance reviews. CORE is also subject to audits by DHS? internal Audit Services and City and State Comptrollers, and subject to State oversight by OTDA, including annual inspections. 6.53(a) Whether the Facility in combination with other similar City and non-City facilities within a half-mile radius would have a significant cumulative negative impact on neighborhood character. ‘The 2013 List of Selected Facilities and Program Sites in New York Cit’, issued by DCP, contains ratios of residential facility beds to population in New York City, its boroughs, and Community Districts. Residential facility beds considered in this analysis are those in facilities on the Map and Facilities List. The Map (Ex. A) illustrates all residential and community facilities identified by DCP within a half-mile of the Building, while the Facilities List (Ex. B) lists these facilities and their capacities. Residential facility beds include: Correctional Facilities, Nursing Homes and Residential Health Care Facilities, Small Residential Facilities (under 25 beds), and Large Residential Care Facilities (serving 25 people or more). Brooklyn CD 8 ranks 15th out of a total of 59 Community Districts Citywide for the number of beds in all residential facilities ‘The Citywide average ratio is 19 residential cate facility beds per 1,000 people — CD 8 has a ratio of 26.0."" * This is the most recent on the capacity of residential facilities reports sued by DCP to date © These numbers were updated as of May 2014. “4There ate no DHS shelter facilities within a 400-foot radius of the Site. There are six DHS facilities within a half-mile radius of the Site: one shelter for adult families, one shelter for single adults, and four facilities for families with children (three shelters and one commercial hotel). Including the Site, there are thirteen DHS facilities within CD 8: the Site, two single adult shelters, one adult family shelter and nine facilities for families with children (cight shelters and one commercial hotel). As discussed in Sections I1.4.1 (a)-(b) and 6.51, it is not expected that the Site will have any significant cumulative negative impact on neighborhood character. The existence of compatible uses in the immediate vicinity and surrounding area of the Site, such as multi-family residences and community facilities such as schools, group care centets and food pantties serve to minimize the impact, if any, on neighbothood character. The use of the Site as temporary housing for homeless single adults fits within the context of the neighborhood. Additionally, the range of basic and social services provided on-site, the comprehensive safety and secutity procedures in place at the Site, and the community interactions via the CAB all serve to minimize the Site's ‘impact, if any, on neighborhood character. Therefore, DHS does not anticipate that its use of the Site will have a significant cumulative negative impact on neighborhood character. 6.53(b) Whether the Site is well located for efficient service delivery. As discussed in Sections I1.4.1(0), 6.1(@), and 6.52, the Site is well located for efficient and cost-effective service delivery. 6.53(c) Whether any alternative sites considered, which are in Community Districts with lower ratios of residential facility beds to population than the Citywide average, would add significantly to the cost of constructing or operating for the facility ot would impair service delivery. As noted above, DHS’ ability to choose among alternative sites is limited. Indeed, at any given time, DHS is negotiating with various providers for the provision of services to homeless families and individuals. The process of looking for, and successfully finding, shelter space is complex, driven by factors beyond the City’s control such as economic conditions, increases in shelter demand that often cannot be accurately predicted many months in advance, the availability of suitable space at any given point in time, and the City’s seven to nine-month average procutement process. The City’s legal mandate to shelter every homeless individual and family on an immediate basis further complicates the weighing of factors in determining sites for shelter use. Since the beginning of January 2015, the Agency considered a total of 64 other proposed sites, of vatious types, used to shelter homeless single adults throughout the City. Of the proposed sites considered, 16 sites are in Brooklyn, 14 sites are in the Bronx, 17 sites are in Manbattan, 14 sites are in Queens and 3 sites are in Staten Island. Of the 64 sites considered, DHS accepted 27 sites located throughout the City as follows: 9 are located in the Bronx, 8 are located in Manhattan, 7 are located in Brooklyn, and 3 are located in Queens. DHS determined that the other 37 sites were not viable for various reasons, including but not limited to the proposed shelter provider lost site control (¢, the building owner/landlord decided to lease the building for non-shelter use); operation of the site as a shelter would be too costly (¢,, cost of converting building to 15suitable shelter space would be prohibitive); ot the time period necessary to ready the site for shelter use was too lengthy (@g, 12-24 months) to complete. The 37 non-viable sites are located throughout the City as follows: 9 are in Brooklyn, 5 are in the Bronx, 11 are in Queens, 9 are in Manhattan, and 3 ate in Staten Island. ‘The above analysis demonstrates that the process of looking for and successfully finding shelter space is complex, driven by factors beyond the City’s control such as economic conditions, increases in shelter demand that often cannot be accurately predicted many months in advance, the availability of suitable space at any given point in time, and the City’s seven to nine-month average procurement process. The City’s legal mandate to shelter every homeless family and individual on an immediate basis further complicates the weighing of factors in determining sites for shelter use. (See Sections LD., LE. and II-6.1(a)-(b),) For all of these reasons, DHS’ ability to choose among alternative sites is limited. In sum, the distribution of shelters among Community Districts — and in this case, the distribution of such facilities in CD 8 — must be viewed in this particular context. Ul, SUMMARY STATEMENT In proposing to shelter homeless single adults at the Site, DHS carefully considered and balanced such factors as the community's needs for services, the efficient and cost-effective delivery of services, the concentration of similar facilities in CD 8, and the effects of the Site on neighborhood character. As previously stated, the law requires DHS to shelter all homeless individuals and families on an immediate basis, DHS must meet fluctuations in shelter demand caused by economic and other factors outside its control. DHS must therefore ensure the availability of sufficient temporary, emergency shelter spaces and be able to accurately predict future capacity needs. Given the City’s legal obligation, DHS has an immediate need for all immediately available and suitable space for its clients, including the Site. As demonstrated in this Fair Share Analysis, DHS has determined that its use of the Site pursuant to the Contract is appropriate and consistent with the Criteria for the Location of City Facilities. Attachments: 2 cc: Herminia Palacio, Deputy Mayor, Health and Human Services Melissa Mark-Viverito, New York City Council Speaker Eric L. Adams, Brooklyn Borough President Yvette D. Clarke, Member, U.S. House of Representatives Velmanette Montgomery, State Senator Diana C. Richardson, State Assembly Member Robert Cotnegy, City Council Member Nizjoni Granville, Chair, Brooklyn Community Board 8 16Michelle George, District Manager, Brooklyn Community Board 8 Marisa Lago, Chair, Department of City Planning. Martha Calhoun, DSS General Counsel David Neustadt, DSS Deputy Commissioner, Communications, Marketing & Legislative Affairs Daniel Tietz, HRA Chief Special Services Officer, Iris Rodriguez, DHS Associate Commissioner, Adult Services Matthew Borden, DSS Assistant Commissioner, Government Relations 7EXHIBIT AFAIR SHARE MAP Proposed Facility: 1173 Bergen Street, Brooklyn’ Agency:.Department of Homeless Services Date: 03/21/17 216 219220 7 : 7819887" ay / Si: 7208 “Sa ot gee See 0.075 0.15 03 0.45 0s Miles — Facility Type * Proposed site © Administration of Government Core Infrastructure and Transportation © Education, Child Welfare, and Youth © Health and Human Services Libraries and Cultural Programs © Parks, Gardens, and Historical SitesEXHIBIT Bae = ipso aioe fren fre 2 a ———— i a eC (usin Ch weir oa anes aa ae —— a eee a Soe eee ae a = Tiles ea aes a a feat sara sane = za ee a a fs emg ie —fesr-s ou fone neers ——— = ee apaT Seon Wate ox eos [est Tout Rage jet nese rec ace: siavac ara a a —— peeanarae eae — ears = eee =a =ofeataae tt Ouioaaan = so SET err Sale Tn ce [cnet oa aaron nama a fasee-cursienstan oceans 193 ban Doli Regia [sss oe we Oo ee ae Silanes [cae fase antesia a frenetic ihfeeaeoa peat Se in as cea ont — [adSareea Se TET ae noone re Se So ena