STATE OF NEW YORK
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4129--A
2015-2016 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 2, 2015
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Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services -- recom-
mitted to the Committee on Social Services in accordance with Senate
Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered
reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to require the office of temporary and disability assistance to
conduct a homelessness study
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The office of temporary and disability assistance shall
2 conduct a homelessness study. Such study shall include, but not be
3 limited to:
4 1. the adequacy of the current shelter allowance and eviction
5 prevention supplements, in light of increasing costs for housing, fuel
6 and utilities;
7 2. whether the inadequacy of the shelter allowance and allowances for
8 fuel and utilities is contributing to evictions, overcrowding and home-
9 lessness;
10 3. whether the inadequacy of the shelter allowance and allowances for
11 fuel and utilities is constraining the ability of the private sector to
12 provide safe and affordable housing to low-income New Yorkers;
13 4. whether the requirement that a family be sued for eviction before
14 they can access a rent supplement program is reasonable considering that
15 it imposes litigation costs on landlords who are providing affordable
16 housing, increases state and local costs for court administration leaves
17 tenants with negative credit that may inhibit their ability to find
18 employment and secure housing in the near term and future, and limits
19 the program to others in need including those who are forced to move
20 because of domestic violence;
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08816-02-6
S. 4129--A 2
1 5. whether the inadequacy of the shelter allowance and allowances for
2 fuel and utilities is constraining the ability of public housing author-
3 ities to maintain the condition and safety of their buildings; and
4 6. whether the shelter allowance should be correlated to the HUD Fair
5 Market Rent levels which are updated annually and based on real housing
6 cost data.
7 § 2. By June 30, 2017, such office shall provide a report to the
8 governor, the speaker of the assembly, temporary president of the
9 senate, the minority leaders of the senate and assembly and the chairs
10 of the social services committees in the senate and assembly.
11 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.