NEW YORK, NY September 17, 2008 —Twenty-five years of court oversight has ended for the city's Department of Homeless Services. The city has reached a settlement with the Legal Aid Society, which sued during the Koch Administration in 1983 over the way the city treats its homeless families seeking shelter for the night. Legal Aid Attorney Steve Banks:

BANKS: And we had one goal on behalf of our clients that children and families should be treated decently and in accordance with legal requirements. Today's agreement ensures that that will be a bedrock principal in this city.

REPORTER: The agreement codifies a court order that required the city to provide shelter within 24 hours to the homeless.