Shelter transfer guide: Suffolk & Nassau County DSS Emergency Housing Transfer Guide

If you are currently placed in an emergency housing placement or shelter through the Department of Social Services (DSS) in Suffolk or Nassau County, transferring to a different shelter is possible, but it is entirely handled and regulated by DSS. You cannot simply walk into a different shelter and check in; you must get a formal re-assignment from your DSS caseworker.

Coram DSS

Here is how the transfer process works and what reasons DSS typically considers acceptable.

Acceptable Reasons for a DSS Shelter Transfer on Long Island

DSS operates under a "one-warranted placement" policy, meaning they assign you to an available bed that meets your basic demographic needs. To get approved for a transfer to a different location, you must prove a change in circumstances or a severe, documented safety/medical conflict at your current placement.

Acceptable reasons generally include:

• Safety and Domestic Violence: If you are in immediate danger, or if someone you are fleeing from discovers the location of your current shelter, DSS will initiate an emergency transfer to a confidential or alternative location to protect you.

• Documented Medical Needs or Disabilities: If your current shelter cannot accommodate a physical disability or severe medical condition (for example, if you need an elevator/first-floor room, or specific electrical access for medical equipment), DSS will transfer you to an accessible facility once a doctor verifies the need in writing.

• Employment or Childcare Logistics: If your current shelter assignment is so far from your job or your children's school that it actively prevents you from maintaining employment or keeping your kids in school, you can request a transfer closer to your work/school hub. You will need to provide official paystubs, employment letters, or school enrollment forms.

• Household Composition Changes: If you are a single adult and your children are reunited with you, or if your household size changes significantly, DSS will transfer you from a single-adult facility to a family shelter or temporary motel accommodation that allows the household to stay together.

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  Nassau DSS

How to Request a Transfer

Because you cannot transfer on your own, you must go through the formal DSS administrative channels:

1. Document your reason

   
   

   Gather proof first

   
   

   Collect hard copy proof of why your current placement is unviable. This includes police reports or orders of protection (for safety issues), signed doctor’s notes outlining specific physical limitations (for medical issues), or letters from employers/schools (for logistical issues).

2. Meet with your caseworker or housing specialist

   
   

   At your local center

   
   

   Speak directly with the caseworker at your current shelter or visit your local DSS center (such as the Suffolk DSS center in Coram, Ronkonkoma, or Riverhead, depending on your area). Formally request a Shelter Transfer Application.

3. Await review and a new referral form

   
   

   Do not leave your current bed or room

   
   

   DSS will review your documentation and check available bed inventory. If approved, they will issue a new Facility Homeless Referral Form. Do not leave or abandon your current placement until this piece of paper is in your hands, or DSS may look at it as a voluntary exit, which can complicate your benefits.

   
   

⚠️ Important Note on Rules Compliance: To remain eligible for a transfer (or emergency shelter housing in general), you must remain in compliance with standard Temporary Assistance rules. This includes actively participating in your assigned independent living plan, complying with shelter curfews, and attending mandatory housing search or employment appointments.

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