Requires that all public housing contracts entered into by the division of housing and community renewal and municipal housing authorities be disclosed on the division of housing and community renewal's website so that such public housing contracts are available to the public.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A6493
SPONSOR: Septimo TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public housing law, in relation to requiring
contracts entered into by the division of housing and community renewal
and municipal housing authorities be available to the public
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends public housing law by adding a new subdivision 8
Section 2 establishes the act shall take effect on the ninetieth day
after it shall have become a law.
JUSTIFICATION:
On February 6th, 2024, 70 current and former NYCHA employees were
arrested for extortion and bribery, after allegedly doling out no-bid
public housing contracts in exchange for kickbacks or withholding signa-
tures that would ensure contractors were paid by NYCHA until a corrupt
payment was received. The implications of this scandal are obvious. In
addition to NYCHA residents not receiving the best possible services and
programs, this abuse of power directly jeopardizes the trust of both
NYCHA residents and taxpayers, who trust those employed by NYCHA to act
in the public's best interest instead of their own. This is just one
example of many where, due to a lack of transparency with regard to
public housing contracts, individuals are able to exploit public systems
for their own interests.
Making public housing contracts available to the public would dras-
tically reduce the ability to hide under the table deals and therefore,
contribute to ensuring that public housing authorities are choosing the
best contractors for their projects.
This bill would require the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to
disclose all public housing contracts on the Division of Housing and
Community Renewal's website. Making details of public housing contracts
available to the public would drastically reduce capacity to conceal
under-the-table deals and therefore, improve the quality of contract
selection by public housing authorities.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
Introduced in 2024
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
6493
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 5, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SEPTIMO -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the public housing law, in relation to requiring
contracts entered into by the division of housing and community
renewal and municipal housing authorities be available to the public
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 14 of the public housing law is amended by adding a
2 new subdivision 8 to read as follows:
3 8. The commissioner shall publicly disclose on the division of housing
4 and community renewal's website all public housing contracts entered
5 into by the division of housing and community renewal and municipal
6 housing authorities.
7 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
8 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
9 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
10 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
11 on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06989-01-5
