If passed, a new law would require homeless shelter developments in New York City to undergo the full Uniform Land Use Review Procedure.
Sydney Kashiwagi reports: "After Staten Islanders and the borough’s elected officials say they were left in the dark about the city’s plan for a 200-family homeless shelter at 44 Victory Blvd., two North Shore state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would increase public scrutiny of shelter developments, using the city’s Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP)."
"Because homeless shelters are considered emergency resources, they currently do not face the same level of review as other types of major construction projects -- instead, the city is only required to give a community 30 days notice to voice any potential concerns about a site before it opens," explains Kashiwagi. The ULURP public review process, by comparison, takes a year.
State Senator Diane Savino and Assemblymember Charles Fall proposed the new bill in the New York State Assembly, but the law would change the city's administrative code to require ULURP review.
The law was proposed in New York the same month as a proposed bill in California would relax required environmental review for homeless shelters—the opposite effect.
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