 |
UNDER THE BRIDGE - About - Newspaper - Photo archives - Contact Us - Word On the Street - Links - |
|
UNDER THE BRIDGE - About - Newspaper - Photo archives - Contact Us - Word On the Street - Links - |
Shelter Rules and Your Rights,
You Have Right To Know: Read The Fine Print
Statutory Authority NH RSA 126:A: 31 Chapter He-M 300
Rights
Part He-M 314 Right of
Persons Using Emergency Shelters* (*In understandable
terms)
(for complete chapter contact State office of DHHS Behavioral
Health, Homeless and Housing Unit at 105 Pleasant St, Concord NH
03301 or call 271-5000)
He-314.01 Purpose
To define the rights of homeless persons that are applicable to
emergency shelters, which receive funding from the State of NH.
(UTB note: There are 41 State funded shelters in NH you could
very likely be in one of them).
He-314.02 Definitions
Emergency Shelter is defined as: any
facility in which the primary purpose is to provide temporary
shelter for homeless individuals and families. It does not
include “transitional housing” which provide housing as
well as educational or rehab services to residents for at least 6
months.
Homeless means: someone that lacks
fixed regular and adequate night time residence or that lives in
a shelter, welfare hotel, congregate shelter or Someone that
lives in an institution that provides a temporary residence that
is not part of the penal (prison) system or someone that sleeps
in a public or private place that is not for the use of sleeping
accommodations for human beings (woods, under bridges, parks,
alleys, cellars, attics, bus station, etc.)
Shelter Services means: Provided the
following: adequate bedding and mattress,(no sleeping on the
floor, stairs or hallways) basic food at no cost to the resident,
soap and hot water for personal hygiene and first aid when
necessary . A shelter may decide to provide
assistance with finding permanent housing; medical and mental
health counseling and supervision; employment counseling;
nutrition counseling; substance abuse intervention, treatment and
counseling; assistance with obtaining other federal, state and
local assistance. (Case management) and other services as it
relates to self-sufficiency: child care, job placement, training;
transportation.
Specialized facility means an emergency
shelter designed to serve a particular portion of the population:
domestic violence victims, persons with mental illness, families
with children, addicts, veterans and other like groups that share
common ground for services.
He-M 314.03 What shelters must do to inform you of
your rights
In a language you understand, every shelter must tell you, the
resident/s about your rights under He-M 314 and notify you how to
file a grievance within the shelter and if you request it, they
must give you a written copy of the grievance procedure. They
must also hang in a public and permanent place a notice of rights
and any house rules and they must also tell you what these rights
and rules are. Each program/shelter must have complete copies of
rules these and client rights that are available to you for you
review if you request them.
He-M 314.04 Fundamental Rights
You cannot be denied any legal right to which all citizens of the
U.S. .Are entitled:
At the least, freedom of religion, the right not to be
discriminated against in any manner because of race, color, sex,
sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, physical or
metal disability as provided in NH RSA 354-A:17 and 42 USC Sec.
3601