What's happening
This bill requires the New York City Housing Authority to create a 311 hotline for public housing residents to report violations and complaints.
Why it matters
Centralizes tenant complaints. By channeling public housing resident complaints through a dedicated 311 hotline, the bill creates a single, accessible point of contact, making it easier for residents to report issues and seek help.
Mandates interagency coordination. The bill requires coordination between the New York City Housing Authority, the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications, and the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, aiming to streamline how complaints are processed and resolved.
Sets rules for accountability and follow-up. The legislation requires the creation of rules and procedures for the timely and effective transmission of complaints, which could increase transparency and pressure for faster responses to tenant concerns.
Empowers city council and agencies. By allowing both the department and city council to make necessary rules and regulations, the bill gives local officials tools to adapt the process and oversight as needed, potentially increasing responsiveness and oversight over NYCHA operations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Create Public Housing Complaint Hotline
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 14
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3203
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 4, 2019
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction and Community Development
AN ACT to amend the public housing law and the New York city charter, in relation to directing the New York City Housing Authority to establish a 311 hotline for the submission and receipt of complaints
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The public housing law is amended by adding a new section 402-e to read as follows:
§ 402-e. New York City Housing Authority 311 hotline. The New York City Housing Authority is authorized and directed to establish, in coordination with the department of information technology and telecommunications of the city of New York, a 311 hotline whereby residents of any project operated by such authority may report housing violations and submit other complaints through the 311 citizens service center.
§ 2. The New York city charter is amended by adding a new section 1076 to read as follows:
§ 1076. New York City Housing Authority 311 hotline. The department is authorized and directed to establish a housing authority 311 hotline, in coordination with the New York City Housing Authority. The department or the city council may promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to accept and process complaints from tenants of public housing projects operated by the New York City Housing Authority. The department shall further establish rules and procedures for the timely and effective transmission of such resident complaints to the New York City Housing Authority in coordination with the department of housing preservation and development.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediately, the New York City Housing Authority and the department of informa-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06195-01-9
S. 3203 2
tion technology and telecommunications of the city of New York are authorized and directed to promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public housing law and the New York city charter, in relation to directing the New York City Housing Authority to establish a 311 hotline for the submission and receipt of complaints
Purpose or general idea of bill
The purpose of this bill is to direct the New York City Housing Authori- ty ("NYCHA") and the New York City Department of Information technology to establish a 311 hotline to receive public housing complaints.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Adds a new section 402-e to the public housing law to direct the New York City Housing Authority ("NYCHA") to establish, in coordi- nation with the department of information technology of the city of New York, a 311 hotline to receive public housing complaints.
Section 2: Adds a new section 1076 to the New York City Charter direct- ing the department of information technology of the city of New York to coordinate with NYCHA to establish a housing authority 311 hotline.
Section 3: Provides the effective date, and immediately authorizes and directs NYCHA and the department of information technology of the city of New York to promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to imple- ment the provisions of this act.
Justification
311 is a special telephone number that provides New York City residents access to non-emergency municipal services. The number is toll-free from any phone in the city. Currently, a NYCHA resident who contacts 311 about any conditions will instead be referred to a separate NYCHA hotline. This legislation will now allow a resident to report a mainte- nance issue or file a complaint directly through the 311 system similar to how non-NYCHA residents can file complaints through 311. Through this process, violations will then be public and the intent of this is to ensure there is proper follow-up by proper channels.
Everyone in New York City knows about the 311 service. This legislation is a common sense approach to make it easier for NYCHA residents to notify the housing authority of maintenance and safety issues. By enhancing the accessibility of NYCHA's call center this legislation will improve response time to tenant concerns and will also create a level of outside oversight over complaints, which is the same to how other 311 complaints are handled.
The 311 system has grown significantly since its inception in 2003, serving as the means of contact for hundreds of city services, but not for NYCHA housing complaints. There is no justifiable reason that NYCHA residents should be left out in the cold - it is time e6;expand the 311 service to meet their needs as well.
Prior legislative history
New Bill in 2017-18: Senate Print 7798.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the 180th day after it shall become law, provided however that effective immediately the New York City Housing Authority and the department of information technology and telecommuni- cations of the city of New York are authorized and directed to promul- gate any rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date on or before such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.