What's happening
This bill requires New York to create a public system for submitting, tracking, and reporting housing condition complaints online and by phone.
Why it matters
Increases tenant empowerment and transparency. by requiring the state to publish complaint details (including building addresses, alleged violations, and status), making it easier for tenants and advocates to identify persistent problems and pressure landlords or authorities for action.
Creates public accountability for housing authorities and landlords. since complaint statuses and yearly summaries will be accessible to the public, potentially revealing patterns of neglect or non-compliance.
Facilitates data-driven policymaking and enforcement. by mandating annual public reports that summarize trends and issues, which could help lawmakers, regulators, and community groups target interventions and allocate resources more effectively.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Tenants and other residents
The bill would let individuals submit housing-condition complaints and check their status online and by telephone.
Division of Housing and Community Renewal
The commissioner would have to establish the complaint system, publish complaint details on the division’s website and issue annual summary reports.
Landlords and building owners
Complaints concerning their buildings would be publicly listed with addresses, alleged conditions, potentially violated laws or rules, and complaint status.
Tenant advocates and housing reporters
Public complaint records and annual summaries would provide information for tracking reported housing conditions and complaint status.
Headline styles
Make Housing Complaints Public
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
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.
Track Housing Complaints Online
In Assembly Committee · Housing · Sponsor Diana Richardson
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3438
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 7, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MYRIE -- 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, in relation to submitting and tracking complaints relating to housing conditions and making such information publicly available
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 20-a to read as follows:
§ 20-a. Submitting and tracking housing condition complaints. 1. The commissioner shall establish a system that allows individuals:
(a) to submit, online and by telephone, complaints alleging housing conditions that would, if proved, violate any law, rule or regulation relating to the maintenance, use, occupancy, safety or sanitary condition of any building or portion thereof which is occupied, arranged or intended to be occupied as a home, residence or dwelling place; and
(b) obtain, online and by telephone, information relating to such complaints, including the status thereof.
2. The commissioner shall publish on the division of housing and community renewal website the following information relating to the complaints made pursuant to subdivision one of this section:
(a) the date of the complaint;
(b) the address of the building to which the complaint relates;
(c) the conditions complained of, including the law, rule or regulation such conditions would, if proved, violate; and
(d) the status of the complaint.
3. Beginning one year after the effective date of this section, and annually thereafter, the commissioner shall publish on the division of housing and community renewal website a report summarizing the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04441-01-9
S. 3438 2
complaints made to the division of housing and community renewal pursuant to subdivision one of this section during the previous year.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
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, in relation to submitting and tracking complaints relating to housing conditions and making such information publicly available
Purpose
To increase transparency, and provide a mechanism for tracking complaints related to housing conditions.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 amends public housing law to add a new section where the commissioner shall establish a system that allows individuals to submit online and by telephone, complaints alleging housing conditions that would if proved, violate any law, rule or regulation relating to the maintenance, use, occupancy, safety or sanitary condition of any build- ing or portion thereof which is occupied, arranged or intended to be occupied as a home, residence or dwelling place.
*The commissioner shall publish on the division of housing and community renewal website the following information relating to the complaints made pursuant to subdivision:
oThe date of the complaint oThe address of the building to which the complaint relates oThe conditions complained of including the law, rule or regulation such conditions would, if proved violate oStatus of the complaint oStates that beginning one year after the effective date, and annually thereafter the commissioner shall publish on the division of housing and community renewal website a report summarizing the complaints made to the division of housing and community renewal.
Justification
Currently there isn't a system in place that tracks the numerous housing complaints. Building owners continue to violate laws, rules, and regu- lations because there isn't a streamlined effective system to capture these complaints. Often times these owners deliberately violate various jaws to harass tenants. Creating this system will make it much easier to capture these violations, address them, and remain transpirent to the public.
Legislative history
New Bill
Fiscal implications
EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.