§ 44 — General and administrative provisions

§ 44. General and administrative provisions. 1. The department, in\nconsultation with the division of housing and community renewal, the\noffice of mental health and other appropriate agencies, shall issue and\npromulgate rules and regulations for the administration of this article.\nThe rules and regulations shall provide that state financial assistance\npursuant to this article will not be available unless an application has\nbeen filed by the municipality, not-for-profit corporation or subsidiary\nthereof, public corporation or charitable organization or subsidiary\nthereof with the department pursuant to a request for proposals issued\nby the commissioner. The rules and regulations shall include provisions\nconcerning eligibility of municipalities and contracting not-for-profit\ncorporations or subsidiaries thereof, public corporations and charitable\norganizations or subsidiaries thereof for state financial assistance;\nthe form of the applications for contracts; funding criteria and the\nfunding determination process; the form of the contracts; supervision\nand evaluation of the contracting municipalities or corporations;\nreporting, budgeting and record-keeping requirements; provisions for\nmodification, termination, extension and renewal of contracts; and such\nother matters not inconsistent with the purposes and provisions of this\narticle as the commissioner shall deem necessary, proper or appropriate.\n 2. The commissioner may provide that preference be given to contract\napplications that (a) involve other sources of funds (municipal, federal\nor any source other than the state), in-kind contributions made by such\nsources, or involve projects receiving state financial assistance\npursuant to chapters three hundred thirty-eight, three hundred\nthirty-nine and five hundred forty-nine of the laws of nineteen hundred\neighty-two, in order to maximize the effect of state financial\nassistance or (b) involve innovative and cost-effective homeless\nprojects that may help resolve the long-term problems of the homeless or\n(c) involve the rehabilitation of existing structures.\n 3. The commissioner shall, in consultation with the commissioner of\nhousing and community renewal, the commissioner of mental health and the\ncommissioners of other appropriate agencies, evaluate the need for\nhomeless projects in various areas of the state and among various\npopulations, including, but not limited to, homeless men, women,\nfamilies and runaway youth, and shall allocate funds, to the extent\npracticable, to meet these needs; provided, however, that no more than\nfifty per centum of the total amount appropriated pursuant to this\narticle in any fiscal year shall be allocated to contracts with any\nsingle municipality.\n 4. The department shall provide for the review, at periodic intervals,\nof the performance of the municipalities, not-for-profit corporations or\nsubsidiaries thereof, public corporations and charitable organizations\nor subsidiaries thereof receiving financial assistance pursuant to this\narticle. Such review shall, among other things, be for the purposes of\nascertaining conformity to contractual provisions, the financial\nintegrity and efficiency of the organizations and the evaluation of the\nproject. Contracts entered into pursuant to this article may be\nterminated by the commissioner upon a finding of substantial\nnonperformance or other breach by the organization of its obligations\nunder its contract with the municipality.\n 5. The commissioner shall require that all homeless projects that\nreceived financial assistance pursuant to this article shall comply with\nall regulations applicable to projects of this type promulgated by the\ndepartment, by the division of housing and community renewal and other\nmunicipal, state and federal regulations and laws. The commissioner may\nterminate any contract upon a finding that a substantial violation of\nsuch regulations or laws has remained uncorrected for a substantial\nperiod of time.\n 6. In order to further the purposes of this article, social services\ndistricts shall, in accordance with regulations promulgated by the\ndepartment, undertake such efforts as may be necessary and practicable\nto assist homeless persons apply for and obtain appropriate governmental\nassistance.\n 7. On or before February first, nineteen hundred eighty-four and on or\nbefore February first of each year thereafter in which contracts under\nthis section are in force, the commissioner shall submit to the\ngovernor, the temporary president of the senate and the speaker of the\nassembly a report detailing progress and evaluating results, to date, of\nthe program.\n 8. Notwithstanding the provisions of any general or special law, the\ndirector of the budget is authorized to transfer to the homeless housing\nand assistance account funds otherwise appropriated or reappropriated to\nthe department of social services for the fiscal years beginning on and\nafter April one, nineteen hundred ninety, in an amount or amounts the\ndirector of the budget determines to be necessary to carry out the\nprovisions of the homeless housing and assistance program.\n