a. The council hereby finds that over 40 percent of New Yorkers are affected by poverty or near poverty; that residents of impoverished communities are at increased risk for housing instability and homelessness, mental illness, chronic disease, and lower life expectancy; that in the city of New York, significant differences in poverty rates across race, ethnicity, and gender have persisted for many years as a result of historic and ongoing systemic inequalities; that child poverty affects nearly 1 in 4 children aged 0 to 3 years in the city of New York; that poverty is more likely to affect children, foster youth, young adults, and families of color as well as female-headed households; that single mothers of young children are more likely to drop out of the work force or work low-paid jobs, and to report that they would seek higher paid work if they could access childcare, compared to mothers in two-parent households; that economic disadvantage in a child’s early years has a profound effect on subsequent health, development, and educational attainment; that young adults aging out of foster care in the city of New York face significant barriers to education, employment, and access to housing; that over 4,500 young adults experience homelessness and housing instability in the city of New York each night; that many local and federal policies that were effective in reducing housing instability and child poverty during the COVID-19 pandemic have been discontinued, causing a rebound in homelessness and child poverty; that studies suggest that unconditional direct cash transfer programs offer a cost-effective tool that, in combination with other public benefits programs, can reduce short- and long-term poverty and its negative effects while improving recipients’ well-being across a range of domains; and that additional evidence is needed to determine what characteristics of unconditional direct cash transfer programs are most effective, and to what extent, in reducing poverty and its negative effects while supporting the well-being of children, families, young adults, and other vulnerable individuals.
b. The Council recognizes the value of pilot programs that study and evaluate the impact and potential benefits of unconditional direct cash payments on eligible participants’ quality of life; the importance of individualized counseling for eligible participants’ understanding of the potential effects of such payments on other public benefits that they may receive; and the benefits of collecting consistent, meaningful data about participants and the impacts of unconditional direct cash transfer payments in the context of different program designs. The Council seeks to maximize the utility of such programs and assessments to inform future policymaking.
(L.L. 2023/105, 7/23/2023, eff. 7/23/2023)
For the purposes of this chapter, the following terms have the following meanings:
Benefits counseling. The term “benefits counseling” means individualized counseling offered to potential pilot program participants concerning the foreseeable effects of participation in a pilot program on an individual’s eligibility for any other public benefits or assistance the individual receives or could receive.
Eligible participant. The term “eligible participant” means an individual who, at the time of entering a pilot program:
1. Resides in the city and either:
(a) Resides in a household that has an annual gross income of no more than 80 percent of the area median income, as defined annually by the United States department of housing and urban development (HUD) for the New York, NY HUD Metro FMR Area (FMRA), adjusted for the size of the household; or
(b) Is a runaway youth or a homeless youth as defined in section 532-a of the executive law; or
2. Meets the eligibility requirements established by a pilot program, so long as those requirements are not less restrictive than those set forth in this definition.
Existing approved pilot program. The term “existing approved pilot program” means an unconditional direct cash transfer pilot program operating in the city that has obtained an income disregard waiver from the New York state office of temporary and disability assistance that has been submitted by the department of social services.
Implementing agency. The term “implementing agency” means an agency that administers or funds a pilot program.
Participant. The term “participant” means an individual who receives cash payments through a pilot program.
Pilot program. The term “pilot program” means an unconditional direct cash transfer pilot program that receives city funding pursuant to section 21-933.
Provider. The term “provider” means a person or entity that has entered into a contract or other agreement with the city, or receives city funding, to administer a pilot program.
Relevant agencies. The term “relevant agencies” means, as applicable, the department of social services, the department of consumer and worker protection, the department of youth and community development, the center for innovation through data intelligence, the mayor’s office of data analytics, the mayor’s office of economic opportunity, any successor of an agency specified in this definition and any other relevant agency.
(L.L. 2023/105, 7/23/2023, eff. 7/23/2023)
a. Subject to appropriation, the city may establish or fund, in whole or in part, 1 or more pilot programs for the provision of unconditional direct cash payments to eligible participants. Any such program shall offer benefits counseling to each participant before providing direct cash payments. City funds made available in accordance with this chapter may be used to provide incentives to take part in research activities and to cover other research costs associated with such pilot program.
b. The city, in accordance with applicable procurement requirements, may select a provider to administer a pilot program.
(L.L. 2023/105, 7/23/2023, eff. 7/23/2023)
a. Research plan and methods. A pilot program shall include a research plan that uses 1 or more methods of scientific research to enable such program to assess the impacts and potential benefits of unconditional direct cash payments, and to evaluate outcomes that may be relevant to future policymaking. Such research methods may include, but are not limited to, surveys of participants, interviews, focus groups, or other narrative methods; an assessment of participants’ experiences with program implementation or processes; statistical analysis; or a combination of approaches.
b. Participant assessment. The research plan developed pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall assess the impacts of the pilot program on participants and, where appropriate, other members of their households. Such assessment shall include, as applicable, assessment of participant outcomes on education, employment, food security, physical and mental health, access to stable housing, income level, financial well-being, and experiences with and access to public benefits.
c. Program assessment. The research plan developed pursuant to subdivision a of this section shall include, at minimum, an annual assessment of pilot program administration effectiveness and participant outcomes.
d. Existing programs. Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this section, if the city funds an existing approved pilot program, the research plan of a pilot program that has received approval from the office of temporary and disability assistance shall be deemed to meet the requirements of this subdivision.
(L.L. 2023/105, 7/23/2023, eff. 7/23/2023)
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