Lawyers Manual - Unified Court System

Public Assistance and Housing 291
10016. AFIC is open 24 hours, seven days a week. Single survivors
without children must go to a DHS intake Center, located throughout New
York City. See,
http://www.ny.gov/html/dhs/html/homeless/homelss_now/shtml (last
visited June 28, 2006). The Emergency Assistance Unit (EAU) was closed
on June 30, 2006.
The smaller system of shelters, specifically for survivors of domestic
violence leaving a domestic violence shelter, is administered by the New
York City Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services
(HRA/DSS). There are approximately 155 domestic violence specific Tier
II units, administered by DHS and HRA/DSS. Unlike non-domestic
violence Tier II shelters, the domestic violence shelters offer services
specific to survivors of domestic violence and are in confidential and
secure locations. Domestic violence shelters can house up to approximately
650 women and 1300 children at one time. Once domestic violence shelter
stay time has expired, residents are sent to the HRA No Violence Again
(NOVA) office at PATH for determination regarding their Tier II shelter
eligibility. Families on average stay in the DHS shelter system for eleven
months until they are relocated to permanent housing. Outside of New
York City, to obtain space in a domestic violence shelter, survivors can call
the local domestic violence program directly or utilize a centralized
number for referral. The New York Coalition Against Domestic Violence
maintains several 24-hour, toll-free Statewide Domestic Violence Hotlines
which are available at (800) 942-6906 (English), (800) 818-0656 (English
TTY), (800) 942-6908 (Spanish), and (800) 780-7660 (Spanish TTY). In
New York City, survivors must call the City’s domestic violence hotline at
(800) 621-HOPE.
98. Social Services Law § 459-g; But see People v Ramsey, 174 Misc 2d 304
(Sup Ct, NY County, 1997).
99. 94 ADM-11 (June 22, 1994). Note that domestic violence residential
programs may contract with the local social services district for shorter
periods of stay. Therefore while a resident’s stay may legally be up to 135
days, actual policies can vary by community.
100. Id.
101. 18 NYCRR § 352.7.