Requires local boards and the division of housing and community renewal to submit certain residential housing and zoning information to the department of state annually; requires such information to be published by the department of state on its website.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A5291A
SPONSOR: Lasher TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring certain
housing production information to be reported to the department of state
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To collect and aggregate statewide data on housing production.
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:
Section I adds a new section 120 to the executive law requiring local
governmental entities that supervise construction of buildings or that
enforce municipal building laws to annually submit to the Department of
State information regarding new construction, conversion, alteration,
demolition, or consolidation of housing. This new section 120 would also
require each of these local government entities, beginning one year
later, to submit a zoning map of their jurisdiction; it would also
require the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to submit to the
Department of State an annual report of all housing subsidies adminis-
tered by the Division. The Department of State would be required to make
this information publicly available on its website. Local governments
that do not comply with the requirements of the new section of law would
be subject to a reduction in funds distributed under Title I of the
federal Housing and Community Development Act of 1974, as amended.
Section 2 establishes the effective date of this bill.
JUSTIFICATION:
New York State faces a massive shortage of housing that has resulted in
skyrocketing prices for homeowners and renters alike. Formulating
appropriate and thoughtful policy responses to the housing affordability
crisis is impeded by the fact that there is little available data on new
housing construction, including how much new housing is being
constructed each year, and where. Likewise, visibility into local zoning
requirements - which have a great deal to do with how much housing can
be built in any locality - is patchy, at best. In 2025, this level of
opacity in the face of one of the State's most grave economic and policy
challenges is a fundamental failure of government operations.
This bill will create a centralized repository of critical, basic infor-
mation on housing construction and zoning. It would not mandate any
action on the part of localities other than the transference of informa-
tion to the State. Nonetheless, this most basic kind of transparency
would represent a significant step forward in understanding and respond-
ing to New York's housing affordability crisis.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
S.0688/A.4990 (2023-24): Senate: Passed. Assembly: Referred to Govern-
mental Operations.
S.9243-A (2022-23): Referred to Finance.
FISCAL. IMPLICATIONS:
None.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January 1st after enactment.
