S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10026
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                                May 1, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by M. of A. ALVAREZ -- read once and referred to the Commit-
   tee on Housing
 
 AN ACT to amend the public housing law,  in  relation  to  enacting  the
   "housing is a human right act"
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
 the "housing is a human right act".
   §  2.  Section 14 of the public housing law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 8 to read as follows:
   8. (A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL APPOINT AN INDIVIDUAL,  OTHERWISE  KNOWN
 AS  THE  NEW  YORK  STATE  AFFORDABLE  HOUSING  CZAR, WHO SHALL CREATE A
 CENTRALIZED OFFICE WITHIN THE DIVISION OF HOUSING TO  ADVOCATE  FOR  AND
 OVERSEE ALL OF THE STATE'S HOUSING INITIATIVES, WORK WITH KEY STAKEHOLD-
 ERS,  TENANTS,  LANDLORDS,  AND DEVELOPERS TO CREATE AN INTEGRATED STATE
 HOUSING PLAN TO GENERATE AFFORDABLE AND SUBSIDIZED HOUSING, ENSURE  THAT
 EXISTING  HOUSING  IS UTILIZED TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS, AND ENSURE STATE
 RESIDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE STATE'S GROWING NUMBER OF AFFORDABLE APART-
 MENTS AND HOMES. RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE NEW YORK STATE AFFORDABLE HOUS-
 ING CZAR SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (I) MAKING STATE RESIDENTS AWARE OF THE RANGE  OF  AFFORDABLE  HOUSING
 OPPORTUNITIES;
   (II)  CREATING,  MAINTAINING,  AND PUBLICIZING A CENTRAL WEBSITE WHERE
 STATE RESIDENTS CAN APPLY FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS, OR  BE  DIRECTED
 TO WHERE TO APPLY FOR SUCH UNITS;
   (III) SERVING AS AN OMBUDSMAN FOR INDIVIDUALS SEEKING PUBLIC OR SUBSI-
 DIZED HOUSING;
   (IV) MONITORING DEVELOPER'S COMPLIANCE WITH STATE HOUSING MANDATES;
   (V) ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH ALL STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MANDATES AND
 COVENANTS;
   (VI)  OVERSEEING  THE  DEVELOPMENT  AND  IMPLEMENTATION OF A FIVE-YEAR
 AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPLIANCE AND MANAGEMENT PLAN; AND
   (VII) ENSURING STATE RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN AFFORDABLE
 HOUSING POLICY DEVELOPMENT.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14148-01-4
 A. 10026                            2
 
   (B) THE NEW YORK STATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CZAR SHALL CREATE  A  VOLUN-
 TEER  TASK FORCE, WHICH SHALL CONSIST OF TEN MEMBERS, EACH OF WHOM SHALL
 SERVE A TERM OF THREE YEARS. SUCH MEMBERS SHALL INCLUDE THE  COMMISSION-
 ER,  OR  HIS  OR HER DESIGNEE, AND THE NEW YORK STATE HOUSING AFFORDABLE
 CZAR.  THE  REMAINING  EIGHT  MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED AS FOLLOWS: TWO
 MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE; TWO
 MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER  OF  THE  SENATE;  TWO
 MEMBERS  SHALL  BE  APPOINTED  BY  THE  SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY; AND TWO
 MEMBERS SHALL BE APPOINTED BY THE MINORITY LEADER OF  THE  ASSEMBLY.  NO
 LATER THAN ONE YEAR AFTER ITS FORMATION, SUCH VOLUNTEER TASK FORCE SHALL
 ISSUE TO THE LEGISLATURE A REPORT CONTAINING ITS RECOMMENDATIONS REGARD-
 ING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN NEW YORK STATE.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.