What's happening
This bill requires public housing authorities to give domestic violence survivors equal priority on waiting lists as other vulnerable groups.
Why it matters
Expands eligibility for priority housing. to domestic violence survivors who are either still at risk in their current residence or have already fled and lack stable, permanent housing—potentially making it easier for them to escape dangerous situations.
Creates a uniform statewide standard. for public housing authorities, reducing local discretion and inconsistency in how domestic violence survivors are treated on waiting lists.
Ensures fairness among vulnerable groups. by requiring that domestic violence survivors are ranked alongside the disabled, elderly, and homeless, rather than being deprioritized or overlooked.
Establishes a clear tie-breaking rule. if multiple applicants have the same priority status, the order on the waiting list will be determined solely by the date and time of application, adding transparency and predictability to the process.
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Who cares
Domestic Violence Survivors
Individuals experiencing or fleeing domestic violence who need access to safe, stable housing will directly benefit from increased priority on public housing waiting lists.
Local Public Housing Authorities
These agencies must update their policies and procedures to ensure domestic violence survivors are given the same priority as other vulnerable groups, impacting administrative processes and resource allocation.
Advocacy Organizations for Victims of Domestic Violence
Groups supporting survivors will have a vested interest in the implementation and enforcement of these changes to help their clients secure safe housing more quickly.
- Watching
Other Vulnerable Populations (Elderly, Disabled, Homeless)
Existing priority groups may monitor this change to ensure fair application of waiting list preferences and to understand any potential impacts on their own access to public housing.
Headline styles
Prioritize Abuse Survivors for Housing
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to housing
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 58–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.386
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to housing
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 57–0
Show 4 earlier actions
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.169
- Referred to housing, construction and community development
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
871
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. BAILEY, ADDABBO, HOYLMAN-SIGAL, JACKSON, KRUEGER, MYRIE, RIVERA, ROLISON, SALAZAR, SKOUFIS -- 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 establishing uniform waiting list priorities for domestic violence survivors applying for public housing
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 62 to read as follows:
§ 62. Waiting list priorities; domestic violence. 1. Where a local housing authority establishes applicant preferences on their waiting list, applicants who are victims of domestic violence shall receive the same priority as other disenfranchised populations, such as the disabled, the elderly and the homeless, where the victim of domestic violence:
(a) will continue to suffer from domestic violence if they continue to live in current residence; or
(b) has left the residence due to domestic violence and is not living in standard permanent replacement housing.
2. For the purposes of this section, victim of domestic violence shall have the same meaning as defined in section four hundred fifty-nine-a of the social services law.
3. For applicants on the waiting list with the same preference status, local public housing authorities shall select applicants using the date and time of application, giving priority to applications in the order of which they are received.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to local housing authorities upon the addition of any person to any of the authority's waiting lists.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00197-01-5
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 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.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.