Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Council advances bills to track street outreach and require hospital discharge coordination for people experiencing homelessness
Loading...
Summary
Introduced measures would create a mobile platform for real‑time tracking of outreach to people experiencing street homelessness (Intro 778a), require annual public warming‑center reporting (Intro 790a), and direct DHS to coordinate discharge supplies and hospital materials to prevent post‑discharge homelessness (Intro 727a/726a).
The City Council introduced a set of bills aimed at strengthening the city’s response to people experiencing homelessness and preventing deaths after hospital discharge. Council Member Lincoln Ressler said Intro 778a would require the Department of Homeless Services to create a mobile, real‑time tracking platform for outreach workers to log engagements and outcomes so the city can better measure placements and service linkages.
"If we don't have good data and if we don't have good tracking systems, then we can't actually improve," Ressler said, citing a 2023 controller audit that found DHS lacked a comprehensive, accessible system for outreach staff.
Speaker Menon listed related items: Intro 790a (sponsored by Council Member Rita Joseph) would require the Department of Social Services, with New York City Emergency Management, to submit annual warming‑center reports and post them online; Intro 727a (sponsored by Majority Leader Abreu) would require DHS to coordinate with hospitals so supplies are available to patients experiencing homelessness upon discharge; and a related Intro 726a would require DHS to prepare informational materials for hospitals to distribute about code‑blue and code‑red alerts.
Majority Leader Abreu described the bills as filling a gap between hospital discharge and services on the street, recounting a recent case in which a discharged patient was found deceased on a park bench. "No one should be left behind," Abreu said, urging better connection between hospitals and support services.
All items were introduced for consideration; the transcript does not record final votes. Implementation would require DHS, DSS, and NYC Emergency Management coordination and additional operations capacity for a citywide mobile platform.
