Provides for the eligibility of certain households for a care workforce housing preference; provides for the method of application for such preference; makes related provisions.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10445
IN ASSEMBLY
March 6, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to enacting
the "care workforce housing preference act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 the "care workforce housing preference act".
3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature hereby finds
4 that New York's direct care, health, and human services workforce-in-
5 cluding direct support professionals, certified nursing assistants,
6 licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, behavioral health and
7 human services staff, and early intervention and special education ther-
8 apists-faces severe housing affordability challenges that threaten work-
9 force recruitment and retention. To address these challenges, this act
10 establishes a fair-housing compliant preference for members of the care
11 workforce in certain affordable housing programs.
12 § 3. The private housing finance law is amended by adding a new
13 section 47-f to read as follows:
14 § 47-f. Care workforce housing preference. 1. Applicability. The
15 provisions of this section shall apply to:
16 (a) any low-income housing tax credit development financed with either
17 nine percent or four percent bonds and credits;
18 (b) rental housing developments financed with bonds issued by the
19 agency; and
20 (c) rental housing developments assisted with U.S. department of hous-
21 ing and urban development's HOME investment partnership program funds,
22 provided that the sponsor elects to adopt such preference.
23 2. Eligible households. A household shall qualify for the care work-
24 force housing preference if at least one member of the household is
25 employed in a qualifying care occupation, as determined by the agency,
26 including but not limited to:
27 (a) direct support professionals;
28 (b) certified nursing assistants;
29 (c) licensed practical nurses and registered nurses;
30 (d) behavioral health or human services staff, including those
31 employed by programs overseen by the office for people with develop-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14233-01-5
A. 10445 2
1 mental disabilities, the office of mental health, and the office of
2 addiction services and supports; and
3 (e) early intervention and special education therapists.
4 3. Method of application. (a) The preference under this section shall
5 be administered through lottery weighting or tie-breaking procedures.
6 (b) The preference under this section shall not constitute a set-a-
7 side, and all income-eligible applicants shall remain eligible regard-
8 less of employment status.
9 4. Preference window and cap. (a) The preference under this section
10 shall apply during the first sixty days of each marketing cycle, includ-
11 ing initial lease-up and any subsequent re-rental periods.
12 (b) The preference under this section shall apply until no more than
13 twenty percent of restricted units in the development are leased to
14 households deemed eligible under subdivision two of this section;
15 provided, however, that a project sponsor may elect to implement a ten
16 percent or five percent target.
17 5. Qualified allocation plan scoring. (a) The division of housing and
18 community renewal shall amend the qualified allocation plan to add a new
19 scoring category entitled "care workforce housing". Up to five points
20 may be awarded as follows:
21 (i) five points for adoption of the preference at twenty percent of
22 units together with submission of a verified care workforce marketing
23 and outreach plan;
24 (ii) three points for adoption of the preference at ten percent of
25 units together with such plan;
26 (iii) one point for adoption of the preference at five percent of
27 units together with such plan.
28 (b) The division may also recognize adoption of the preference under
29 this section as a state-designated priority eligible for basis boost
30 where necessary.
31 6. Care workforce marketing and outreach plan. A marketing and
32 outreach plan shall include but not be limited to:
33 (a) named partnerships with provider agencies, unions, hospitals, and
34 other entities representing the care workforce;
35 (b) provision of application materials in multiple languages, and
36 availability of evening and weekend application assistance;
37 (c) voucher-neutral screening policies;
38 (d) weekly tracking of application sources; and
39 (e) close-out and annual reporting on the implementation of the pref-
40 erence under this section.
41 7. Effectiveness and regulations. (a) The provisions of this section
42 shall apply to developments under subdivision one of this section begin-
43 ning upon the first calendar quarter next succeeding the date on which
44 this section shall have become a law.
45 (b) The agency shall be authorized to promulgate any rules and/or
46 regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this section.
47 § 4. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
48 sion, or section of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent
49 jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or
50 invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation
51 to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivision, or section thereof
52 directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have
53 been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the legislature
54 that this act would have been enacted even if such invalid provisions
55 had not been included herein.
56 § 5. This act shall take effect immediately.
