NY Soc Serv L § 36-C (2021)
2021 New York Laws SOS - Social Services Article 2 - Department and State Board of Social Welfare 36-C - Savings Plan for the City of New York.

* §  36-c.  Savings  plan for the city of New York. 1. Notwithstanding   any other provision of law to  the  contrary,  in  any  social  services   district  with  a  city having a population of five million or more, the   social services district shall conduct a demonstration  project  as  set   forth  in  this  section,  and shall evaluate and report on such project   annually, pursuant to a plan approved by the  office  of  temporary  and   disability assistance and the division of budget. A comprehensive report   shall be provided to the governor, the temporary president of the senate   and  the  speaker of the assembly by December thirty-first, two thousand   twenty-one. Such report shall include but not be limited to  information   regarding  the  program  such  as  the  number  of  participants for the   previous three years; the percentage of participation as measured by the   number of participants making contributions into such savings plan;  the   average  amount  payable  to a participant upon leaving the program; the   average length of time a participant remained in the program; the number   of situations in which the participant moved  out  of  the  program  but   reengaged  in  the program within the previous twelve months; the number   of participants leaving  the  program  voluntarily  and  the  number  of   participants   removed   due   to  failure  to  comply;  and  any  other   demonstrated outcomes of such program.2. Such social services district, in lieu of applying that portion  of   a  temporary  housing assistance recipient's earned income that, but for   the provisions of this section, would be applied to reduce the need  for   the  shelter  component  of  temporary  housing assistance provided in a   temporary  emergency  shelter,  shall  direct  such   a   recipient   to   participate in a savings plan with such funds and, as long as such funds   are  not withdrawn, they shall not be applied to reduce the need for the   shelter component of the temporary housing assistance  granted  for  the   duration  of  his  or  her  residence  in  temporary  emergency shelter;   provided, however, that the provisions of this section shall only  apply   to a person receiving temporary housing assistance in a shelter or other   facility  overseen  by the New York city department of homeless services   or the New York city department of housing preservation and development.   Failure by a recipient of temporary housing assistance to contribute  to   such  a  savings  plan  shall  result in the discontinuance of temporary   housing assistance.  Provided  however,  such  discontinuance  shall  be   immediately curable by compliance with this section.3. In such social services district, any such funds collected from the   earned income of a recipient of temporary housing assistance while he or   she is residing in a temporary emergency shelter shall be deposited in a   savings  plan  approved  by  the  office  of  temporary  and  disability   assistance and the division of budget; shall be payable to the recipient   for the recipient's use to facilitate  his  or  her  transition  to,  or   stabilize  his  or  her  residence in, permanent housing upon his or her   discharge from shelter or upon verification of such recipient's date  of   discharge  from  shelter;  and shall be considered exempt as income or a   resource until the twelfth  month  following  the  month  in  which  the   recipient  ceases  receiving  temporary  housing assistance in temporary   emergency shelter. Funds  collected  in  such  savings  plans  shall  be   pooled,   tracked   individually,   and   maintained  in  a  savings  or   money-market account at interest rates set by the institution with which   such funds are deposited. Any  savings  and  interest  accrued  in  such   account  or  accounts  shall  be  distributed  to  a  temporary  housing   assistance recipient upon his or her discharge from temporary  emergency   shelter  or upon verification of such recipient's date of discharge from   shelter, in accordance with the provisions of this section.4. Such social services district shall be deemed  in  compliance  with   section  one  hundred  thirty-one-a of this chapter for reimbursement of    expenditures  made  for  temporary  housing  assistance,  provided   the   district  is  conducting  the  project  fully  in  accordance  with  the   provisions of this section. Unearned income of a recipient of  temporary   housing assistance in such social services district shall not be applied   to  the  savings  plan,  and shall not be required to be applied to that   portion of the shelter  costs  not  paid  for  with  public  assistance.   Temporary  housing  assistance  recipients  shall  not  be  required  to   contribute to the cost of such shelter, as provided for in this section.   Such project shall not be implemented so as to  compromise  the  federal   benefits of a recipient or any of his or her household members.* NB Repealed March 31, 2022