Provides preferences in contracts under the affordable home ownership program to police officers, teachers and firefighters who live in the municipality or school district in which they work; defines relevant terms.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7703
SPONSOR: Fitzpatrick (MS) TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to prefer-
ences under the affordable home ownership development program
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
This bill would encourage the development of affordable home ownership
opportunities for police officers, firefighters and teachers in order
that they may live in the municipalities or school districts in which
they. are employed.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends subdivision (3)(a) of 'Section 1112 of the Private
Housing Finance Law to direct the Affordable Housing Corporation, when
determining awards under the Affordable Home' Ownership Development
Program, to provide a preference to applications based upon the extent
to which the proposed project or program will serve households in which
the home buyer is employed as a police officer, a firefighter or a
teacher who is licensed to teach in the state, provided that such house-
hold is located within the boundaries of the area served by the police
department, fire department or elementary or secondary school where such
person is employed.
As defined in the bill "police officer" would mean a person who is
currently employed as a sworn officer of an authorized police department
or force of a city, town or village; firefighter" shall mean a person
who is currently employed on a permanent basis as an officer or member
of an organized fire department of a city, town, village or fire
district; and "teacher" shall mean a person who is currently employed in
a teaching capacity in an elementary or secondary school in New York
state, has graduated from an accredited college or university and holds
a valid New York state teaching certificate.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill directs the Affordable Housing Corporation, when determining
awards under the Affordable Home Ownership Development Program, to
provide a preference to applications based upon the extent to which the
proposed project or program will serve households in which the home
buyer is employed as a police officer, a firefighter or a teacher who is
licensed to teach in the state, provided that such household is located
within the boundaries of the area served by the police department, fire
department or elementary or secondary school where such person is
employed. The intention of this legislation is to encourage affordable
home ownership for the lowest income households in the applicable region
for police officers, firefighters and elementary and secondary school
teachers.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2024 - A4675 - Referred to Housing
2022 - A5632 - Referred to Housing
2020 - A6182 - Held in Housing Committee
2018 - A7349 - Held in Housing Committee
2016 - A2979 Held in Housing Committee
2014 - A3220 - Held in Housing Committee
2012 - A2568 - Held in Housing Committee
2010 - A4229 Held in Housing Committee
2008 - A4024 - Held in Housing Committee
2006 - A9583 - Held in Housing Committee
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None to the State.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
7703
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
April 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. FITZPATRICK, TAGUE -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of
A. MANKTELOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to prefer-
ences under the affordable home ownership development program
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 3 of section 1112 of the
2 private housing finance law, as amended by chapter 898 of the laws of
3 1986, is amended to read as follows:
4 (a) Serve the lowest income households in the applicable region and is
5 designed to continue to be affordable to such households for a substan-
6 tial period of time or serve households in which the home buyer is
7 employed as a police officer, firefighter or teacher, provided that such
8 home is located within the boundaries of the area served by the police
9 department, fire department, or elementary or secondary school where
10 such person is so employed. As used in this paragraph: "police officer"
11 shall mean a person who is currently employed as a sworn officer of an
12 authorized police department or force of a city, town or village; "fire-
13 fighter" shall mean a person who is currently employed on a permanent
14 basis as an officer or member of an organized fire department of a city,
15 town, village or fire district; and "teacher" shall mean a person who is
16 currently employed in a teaching capacity in an elementary or secondary
17 school in this state, has graduated from an accredited college or
18 university and holds a valid state teaching certificate issued pursuant
19 to article sixty-one of the education law.
20 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall
21 have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04351-01-5
