BILL NUMBER: S871

SPONSOR: BAILEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public housing law, in relation to establishing
uniform waiting list priorities for domestic violence survivors applying
for public housing

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Requires statewide housing authorities, in reviewing applicants, to
grant domestic violence survivors the same preference as granted other
prioritized populations in the event the authority establishes waiting
list preferences. Establishes a standardized definition of domestic
violence when determining applicant eligibility for the preferred popu-
lation.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section one of the bill amends the public housing law by adding a new
section that adds domestic violence survivors to the waiting lists
              

priorities for public housing.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Homelessness shot up in New York State between 2022 and 2023.  According
to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), New York
had the largest absolute increase in homelessness in the country, with
around 40% more people experiencing homelessness.  Ample research has
shown that there is a strong link between homelessness and domestic
violence. According to data provided by New York City's Department of
Homeless Services (DHS), in 2023, 20.3% of families with children who
entered DHS shelters identified domestic violence as the reason for
their homelessness, ahead of overcrowding or evictions.

A 2023 New Destiny Housing report found that homeless domestic violence
survivors are more likely to move from shelter to shelter instead of
permanent housing: "Between 2018 and 2023, more than half of survivors
left Human Resources Association (HRA) domestic violence emergency shel-
ter for another shelter upon reaching the state-mandated 180-day limit."
Access to safe, affordable housing is a top concern for survivors and
often determines whether they leave their abuser for good.

The federally funded Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which
provides rental assistance to low-income households, as well as senior
citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes, displaced families, and
homeless individuals with disabilities, does not explicitly extend its
services to domestic violence survivors.

The local housing authorities that administer the program are given
latitude to establish applicant preferences. For instance, the New York
City Housing

Authority includes survivors of domestic violence among the groups
granted emergency priority for public housing; the housing authorities
in Albany, Ulster County, and Ithaca do not mention survivors of domes-
tic violence among the groups of prioritized applicants; and the Mamaro-
neck Housing Authority has no applicant preferences.
This legislation would require that those local housing authorities that
have established waiting-list priorities for applicants must give domes-
tic violence survivors the same priority as other disenfranchised groups
applying for public housing.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18: S3694 - Referred to Housing, Construction and Community Devel-
opment

2019-20: S2162 - Referred to Housing, Construction and Community Devel-
opment

2021-22: S1681 - Passed Senate

2023-24: S0936 - Passed Senate

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately, with provisions.