Relates to the New York city housing authority

Summary of provisions

Section one of the bill amends the public housing law relating to the members of the New York City Housing authority ("NYCHA") to specify certain duties of such members, including requiring them to apply their fiduciary duties in the best interest of the NYCHA, its mission and its residents.

The section also requires the establishment of a training program for board members regarding their legal, fiduciary and ethical responsibilities as directors of the NYCHA.

Section two of the bill amends the public housing law relating to powers and duties of the NYCHA and imposes additional responsibilities on the NYCHA, including:

1. Establish guidelines for the disposal of personal and real property of NYCHA. The bill includes standards for disposing of real property at below fair market value;

2. Requires the development of a public system to track capital projects, disposition projects and maintenance and repair projects

3. Prepare and make available publicly an annual independent audit report and other reports, including a list of all real property belonging to NYCHA and of dispositions of real property;

4. Requires NYCHA to describe any government assistance to be received by the private parties to the transaction and to provide an analysis comparing the value received by NYCHA on a disposition with the value that a private party would receive for similar property;

5. Establish a "whistleblower" program;

6. Require members, officers and employees of the NYCHA to document any contact with lobbyists;

7. Establish an office of inspector general reporting to the NYC Department of Investigations;

8. Provides for a process to ensure that federal funds allocated for resident assistance are actually expended;

9. Requires NYCHA to comply with the NYC building code, and require the City to enforce the code against NYCHA buildings and structures; 10. Allow NYCHA to contract with DASNY to construct, reconstruct, renovate or rehabilitate NYCHA buildings and structures.

Section four sets forth the severability clause. Section five sets forth the effective date of the bill.

Justification

In 2005 and 2009, the state of New York enacted comprehensive legislation to improve the practices of, and increase oversight over, the state's public authorities. As entities that are mostly. publicly funded and are created to provide an important public service or good, public authorities needed to operate with more accountability and transparency.

NYCHA is a publicly-funded public authority that provides essential and basic functions and services for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. As such, the State legislature believes that NYCHA should be held to same laws and standards that are currently imposed on all other New York state public authorities. It is in the best interest of the public to ensure that NYCHA functions as an open, transparent and accountable public authority.

Prior senate legislative history

03/15/13 REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 05/28/13 AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 05/28/13 PRINT NUMBER 4231A 01/08/14 REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Budget implications

This bill will not result in any additional costs to the State. The New York City Housing Authority might see some additional costs for functions related to increased transparency, accountability, greater public involvement, additional public meetings and reports, and increased costs for establishing a tracking system for capital projects, and for maintenance and repair projects.

Effective date

90 days after the date that this bill becomes law.