Relates to establishing an obligation to affirmatively further fair housing by state departments, agencies or offices administering housing laws or housing programs and by any localities receiving state funds to administer programs and activities related to housing.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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5428--A
2021-2022 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 16, 2021
___________
Introduced by M. of A. CYMBROWITZ, PEOPLES-STOKES, HUNTER -- read once
and referred to the Committee on Housing -- committee discharged, bill
amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said commit-
tee
AN ACT to amend the public housing law, in relation to establishing an
obligation to affirmatively further fair housing
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The public housing law is amended by adding a new article
2 14 to read as follows:
3 ARTICLE XIV
4 OBLIGATION TO AFFIRMATIVELY FURTHER FAIR HOUSING
5 Section 600. Obligation to affirmatively further fair housing.
6 § 600. Obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. 1. For the
7 purposes of this section, the term "covered housing agency" shall mean
8 any state department, agency or office administering housing and commu-
9 nity development laws or housing and community development programs
10 including but not limited to New York state homes and community renewal,
11 the division of housing and community renewal, the New York state hous-
12 ing finance agency, the affordable housing corporation, the housing
13 trust fund corporation, the municipal bond bank agency, the state of New
14 York mortgage agency, any subsidiary of the foregoing agencies, any
15 public housing agency, and any localities receiving funds from any state
16 department, agency or office to administer programs or activities
17 related to housing and community development.
18 2. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall administer
19 all such programs and activities related to housing and community devel-
20 opment in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing and shall
21 cooperate with the commissioner to further such purpose.
22 3. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall take mean-
23 ingful actions to:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06432-02-1
A. 5428--A 2
1 (a) identify and overcome patterns of residential segregation and
2 housing discrimination;
3 (b) eradicate racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;
4 (c) reduce disparities in access to opportunity;
5 (d) eliminate disproportionate housing needs;
6 (e) provide the public reasonable and regular opportunities to comment
7 on fair housing issues and participate in the development and advance-
8 ment of affirmative fair housing policy; and
9 (f) encourage and maintain compliance with article fifteen of the
10 executive law and any other applicable anti-discrimination or fair hous-
11 ing law.
12 4. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall take no
13 action that is materially inconsistent with the obligation of this
14 section.
15 5. The commissioner shall on or before October thirtieth of each year
16 produce a draft report that shall be made available to the public. The
17 report shall include any significant initiatives, policies, or programs
18 undertaken in furtherance of fair housing and any recommendations for
19 improving the state of fair housing in New York. The draft report shall
20 be open to a minimum of thirty days of public comment. The commissioner
21 shall, on or before December first of each year, submit the final
22 version of said report to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and
23 the temporary president of the senate. The commissioner shall submit
24 along with the final report, all comments received pursuant to the
25 public comment period.
26 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
