What's happening
This bill amends housing laws to define "probable aggregate annual income" as net income after taxes, not gross income.
Why it matters
Shifts eligibility calculations for public and subsidized housing from gross income to net income after taxes,. making it potentially easier for lower-income families to qualify since it more accurately reflects their available financial resources.
May increase the pool of families eligible for housing assistance or lower rents. by ensuring that only income actually received after tax obligations is counted, which is particularly significant for families in higher tax brackets or with significant payroll deductions.
Could impact rent-setting and surcharge calculations for subsidized housing,. since rents and surcharges are often based on a percentage of the “probable aggregate annual income”—now calculated as net income—potentially resulting in lower rent obligations for many tenants.
Aligns eligibility and rent calculations with a more realistic measure of disposable income,. addressing concerns that gross income overstates a family’s actual ability to pay for housing, and thus may help prevent housing insecurity among working families who face high tax burdens.
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Clarify Housing Income Definition
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Clarify Housing Income Rules
In Senate Committee · Housing, Construction And Community Development · Sponsor Robert Jackson
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3247
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 29, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. DINOWITZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the public housing law and the private housing finance law, in relation to defining probable aggregate annual income
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The closing paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 156 of the public housing law, as amended by chapter 893 of the laws of 1974, is amended to read as follows:
The "probable aggregate annual income" means the annual net income [of the chief wage earner of the family] after federal, state and municipal income taxes are deducted from the gross income of the chief wage earner plus all other income of other members of the family over the age of twenty-one years, plus a proportion of the income of members under the age of twenty-one years to be determined by the authority solely for the purpose of establishing rent to be paid except that the authority may exclude a proportion of the income of other members of the family over the age of twenty-one years for the purpose of determining eligibility for admission or continued occupancy, or for establishing rental of such family, or for all such purposes, subject to approval by the commissioner with respect to state projects.
§ 2. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 2 of section 31 of the private housing finance law, as amended by chapter 260 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
(a) The dwelling or non-housekeeping accommodations without board in a company project shall be available for persons or families of low income whose probable aggregate annual income at the time of admission and during the period of occupancy does not exceed, the greater of (i) the median income for such persons or families for the metropolitan statistical area in which the project is located, or if a project is located outside a metropolitan statistical area, the median income for such
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00751-01-9
A. 3247 2
persons or families for the county in which the project is located, as most recently determined by the United States department of housing and urban development, in which case any person or family becoming eligible for admission pursuant to this subparagraph shall pay, from the time of admission, a rental surcharge as provided for in subdivision three of this section, computed on the basis of the income limitations applicable to such persons or families in the absence of this subparagraph, or (ii) seven times the rental, including the value or cost to them of heat, light, water and cooking fuel, of the dwellings that may be furnished to such persons or families, except that in the case of families with three or more dependents, such ratio shall not exceed eight to one. The "probable aggregate annual income" in the case of dwelling accommodations means the annual net income [of the chief wage earner of the family] after federal, state and municipal income taxes are deducted from the gross income of the chief wage earner, plus all other income of other members of the family over the age of twenty-one years, plus a proportion of income of gainfully employed members under the age of twenty-one years, the proportion to be determined by the company as approved by the commissioner or the supervising agency, as the case may be, excluding therefrom a deduction of fifteen thousand dollars from the income of secondary wage earners of the family or a larger deduction if approved by the commissioner or the supervising agency, as the case may be, except that the company, as approved by the commissioner or the supervising agency, as the case may be, may exclude a proportion of the income of other members of the family over the age of twenty-one years for the purpose of determining eligibility for admission or continued occupancy, or for establishing the rental of such family, or for all such purposes; in the case of such non-housekeeping accommodations it means the annual income of the occupant, provided that the commissioner or supervising agency, as the case may be, may make rules and regulations relative to the allocation of the income of a family among the members thereof for the purpose of determining the income attributable to such occupant.
§ 3. Subdivision 5 of section 85-a of the private housing finance law, as amended by chapter 182 of the laws of 1997, is amended to read as follows:
5. The "probable aggregate annual income" means the annual net income [of the chief wage earner of the family] after federal, state and municipal income taxes are deducted from the gross income of the chief wage earner plus all other income of members of the family over the age of twenty-one years, plus a proportion of the income of members under the age of twenty-one years to be determined by the commissioner, excluding therefrom a deduction of fifteen thousand dollars from the income of secondary wage earners of the family or a larger deduction if approved by the commissioner or the supervising agency, as the case may be, except that the company, as approved by the commissioner, may exclude a proportion of the income of other members of the family over the age of twenty-one years for the purpose of determining eligibility for admission or continued occupancy, or for establishing the rental of such family, or for all such purposes.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.