Bill > S710

This bill aims to improve the administration and oversight of the emergency assistance housing program by requiring the division of housing stabilization to provide bi-monthly reports to cities and towns detailing new emergency assistance households placed in hotels or motels within their jurisdiction, including specific notification recipients like city managers or mayors. It also mandates that applicants for emergency housing assistance provide a comprehensive 60-month residential history, including verifiable addresses and residency dates, and stipulates that hotels and motels contracted to provide emergency housing must offer the same services to program recipients as they do to regular guests, with the department retaining the right to cancel contracts for violations. Furthermore, the bill requires heads of emergency assistance households to disclose information about the noncustodial parent of each child, such as their name and financial obligations, to the department of housing and community development, which will then collaborate with the department of revenue to determine if the noncustodial parent has a legal duty to provide financial support, and to potentially recover costs from those who fail to comply. Finally, it clarifies the definition of "occupancy" for tax purposes in bed and breakfast establishments, hotels, lodging houses, and motels when the stay is a result of emergency housing assistance placement.