Senate Bill S7841

2011-2012 Legislative Session

Increases the membership of the New York City Housing Authority

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Aug 17, 2012	referred to rules

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Rules
Law Section:: Public Housing Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §402, Pub Hous L
Versions Introduced in 2013-2014 Legislative Session:: S123

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Increases the membership of the New York City Housing Authority by adding 2 additional members; provides members shall serve at the pleasure of the mayor of the city of New York and the tenant members shall serve for terms of 3 years.

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                BILL NUMBER:S7841

TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public housing law, in relation to the membership of
the New York City Housing Authority

PURPOSE:
Increases the membership of the New York City Housing Authority and
alters the term limits and removal procedures governing such members to
provide greater accountability.

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. Amends the public housing law to alter the membership of the
New York Housing Authority by adding three new members one of whom shall
be a resident of NYCHA housing, and amending the member removal proce-
dure so that resident members shall serve fixed three-year terms and all
non-resident member shall be removable at the pleasure of the Mayor of
New York City.

Section 2. Establishes the effective date.

JUSTIFICATION:
A recent series of events make it clear that the leadership of the New
York City Housing Authority is operating in a manner where accountabil-
ity and transparency are non-existent and secrecy and mismanagement are
the norm. In 2011, the NYCHA Improving Customer Experience (NICE)

program, and the $36 million Seibel computer system at the program's
heart, led to a situation where the administration of the Section 8
housing program essentially ceased to function.  There were widespread
reports of missed payments, unexplained and unappealable inspection
failures, mislaid and unprocessed documents, wrongful evictions, and a
basic failure of communication. Although the mismanagement of the NICE
system led to a series of highly critical news stories, a comprehensive
negative report from the office of the Public Advocate and at least two
class action lawsuits, NYCHA's leadership has never publicly acknowl-
edged the problems, let alone addressed what is being done to fix them.

In the wake of NICE's failure, NYCHA has compounded the lack of trust in
its administration by refusing to release the contents of a $10 million
outside report on its programs and management paid for by taxpayer
dollars. Shortly after a news story on its refusal to disclose the
report, it came to light that NYCHA failed to install any of the $42
million worth of publicly funded surveillance cameras that were intended
to protect its residents. These failures, as well as many other less
publicized mistakes, and the complete lack of transparency or account-
ability in their aftermath unequivocally demonstrate the need for a
systemic change in the way NYCHA is run.  This bill will restructure the
membership of NYCHA's board to provide new perspectives by adding three
new members and foster accountability by making non-resident board
members removable at the pleasure of the Mayor. While this legislation
will not cure all of NYCHA's problems, it is a critical step towards

increased transparency, responsibility and a new direction for a trou-
bled institution that is vitally important to the City of New York.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New Bill.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding the date
on which it shall have become a law.

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  7841

                            I N  S E N A T E

                             August 17, 2012
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen. PERALTA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules

AN ACT to amend the public housing law, in relation to the membership of
  the New York City Housing Authority

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1. Subdivision 3 of section 402 of the public housing law, as
amended by chapter 531 of the laws  of  2010,  is  amended  to  read  as
follows:
  3.  [On  and  after  May first, nineteen hundred fifty-eight, the] THE
authority shall consist of [three] FIVE members appointed by the  mayor,
[one  of  whom]  WHO SHALL SERVE AT HIS OR HER PLEASURE. ONE SUCH MEMBER
shall be designated by the mayor as chairman removable  at  his  OR  HER
pleasure. [The members other than the chairman first appointed for terms
commencing   on  May  first,  nineteen  hundred  fifty-eight,  shall  be
appointed for terms of three and five  years,  respectively.  Thereafter
the  term of office of each member other than the chairman shall be five
years.] The mayor shall file with the commissioner of housing a  certif-
icate  of  appointment  of  the chairman and of each member. [Any member
other than the chairman may be removed by the mayor for  cause  after  a
public  hearing. On and after July first in the year next succeeding the
year in which this sentence shall take effect, the] THE authority  shall
consist  of [one] TWO additional [member] MEMBERS who shall be appointed
by the mayor [and shall be removable at his or her pleasure]  FOR  TERMS
OF  THREE  YEARS;  PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT OF THE TENANT MEMBERS FIRST
APPOINTED TO A TERM OF OFFICE, ONE MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED FOR A  TERM
OF TWO YEARS AND THE OTHER MEMBER SHALL BE APPOINTED FOR A TERM OF THREE
YEARS. Such additional [member] MEMBERS must be eighteen years of age or
older  and be the tenant of record or an authorized member of the tenant
household, in good standing, residing in one of the three hundred  thir-
ty-five  federal  projects owned or operated by the authority. A vacancy
in the office of a [member other than the chairman  or  the  additional]
tenant  member  occurring  otherwise than by expiration of term shall be
filled for the unexpired term; provided, however, that a vacancy in  the

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                           LBD16457-01-2

S. 7841                             2

seat  held  by  [the  additional] A tenant member shall be filled by the
mayor within thirty days of such vacancy.
  S  2.  This act shall take effect on the first of July next succeeding
the date on which it shall have become a law.

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Senate Bill S7841

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

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2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Details

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

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Sponsored By

Jose Peralta

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Rules Committee

Actions

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Details

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2011-S7841 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments