[§346-374.5]  Emergency shelter; minimum requirements.  (a)  This section shall apply to every emergency shelter operated by a provider agency that is under contract with the department to receive homeless shelter stipends for providing shelter and services to homeless families or individuals at the emergency shelter.

     (b)  The department shall require an emergency shelter to comply with the following:

     (1)  The shelter shall have the number of showers and bathrooms that the department deems appropriate and sufficient for the number of homeless families or individuals who use the shelter and the capacity of the shelter.  The showers and bathrooms may be part of the shelter building or portable and unattached to the shelter building;

     (2)  The shelter may have partitioned space for each homeless family or individual that provides separation from other homeless families or individuals in the shelter.  The minimum area of the partitioned space and height of the partition shall be determined by the department and may differ among emergency shelters, according to the number of homeless families or individuals who use the shelter and the capacity of the shelter.  A shelter that provides separate rooms or portable dwelling units for homeless families or individuals, including converted shipping containers or school classrooms, shall be deemed to exceed this minimum requirement; and

     (3)  The shelter shall provide storage for the personal possessions of each homeless family or individual served by the shelter.  The storage shall be securable by the homeless family or individual.  The type and number of the storage equipment, space, or area shall be determined by the department.

     (c)  The department may require an emergency shelter to comply with any other requirements that the department deems appropriate or necessary.  The requirements established by the department may vary among emergency shelters.

     (d)  A provider agency contracted to operate or manage an emergency shelter not owned by the department shall comply with the minimum requirements of subsection (b).  The provider agency shall bear all costs of compliance, unless the department provides or contributes state funding assistance; provided that the state funding assistance shall be:

     (1)  In addition to homeless shelter stipends paid to the provider agency under section 346-374;

     (2)  Subject to the availability of legislative appropriations; and

     (3)  Recoverable, in whole or part, by the department if the provider agency does not perform satisfactorily under or for the duration of the term of its contract with the department to operate or manage the shelter.

     (e)  Any emergency shelter owned by the department shall comply with the minimum requirements under subsection (b), regardless of whether the department contracts with a provider agency to manage or operate the emergency shelter. [L 2016, c 234, §2; am L 2017, c 100, §§2, 4]