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

                                  10602

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                              June 7, 2016
                               ___________

Introduced  by  COMMITTEE ON RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Wright) --
  read once and referred to the Committee on Housing

AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to residen-
  tial emergency services to offer home repairs to the elderly program

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

  Section  1. The private housing finance law is amended by adding a new
article 28 to read as follows:
                               ARTICLE 28
         RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER HOME REPAIRS TO
                           THE ELDERLY PROGRAM
SECTION 1233. STATEMENT OF LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.
        1234. DEFINITIONS.
        1235. RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER  HOME  REPAIRS  TO
                THE ELDERLY CONTRACTS.
  S 1233. STATEMENT  OF  LEGISLATIVE  FINDINGS.  THE  LEGISLATURE HEREBY
FINDS AND DECLARES THAT THERE EXISTS IN NEW YORK STATE A NEED FOR FINAN-
CIAL RESOURCES TO ASSIST SENIOR CITIZEN  HOMEOWNERS  WITH  THE  COST  OF
ADDRESSING  EMERGENCIES  AND CODE VIOLATIONS THAT POSE A THREAT TO THEIR
HEALTH AND SAFETY, OR AFFECTING THE LIVABILITY OF THEIR HOME.  PROVIDING
ASSISTANCE FOR THE COST OF MAKING SUCH CRITICAL REPAIRS WILL ENABLE MANY
SENIORS TO CONTINUE TO LIVE INDEPENDENTLY IN THEIR OWN HOMES.
  S 1234. DEFINITIONS. AS USED IN THIS ARTICLE:
  1.  "CORPORATION" SHALL MEAN THE HOUSING TRUST FUND CORPORATION ESTAB-
LISHED IN SECTION FORTY-FIVE-A OF THIS CHAPTER.
  2.  "ELIGIBLE  APPLICANT"  SHALL  MEAN  A  CITY,  TOWN,   VILLAGE   OR
NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPORATION  IN  EXISTENCE  FOR  A PERIOD OF ONE OR MORE
YEARS PRIOR TO APPLICATION, WHICH IS, OR WILL BE AT THE TIME  OF  AWARD,
INCORPORATED  UNDER  THE  NOT-FOR-PROFIT  CORPORATION  LAW  AND HAS BEEN
ENGAGED PRIMARILY IN HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
  3. "RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER HOME REPAIRS TO THE ELDER-
LY PROGRAMS" SHALL MEAN A SERIES OF ACTIVITIES BY AN ELIGIBLE  APPLICANT
TO  ADMINISTER  FUNDS  TO  PROVIDE  EITHER LOANS OR GRANTS TO HOMEOWNERS
SIXTY YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, WITH A HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF LESS THAN EIGHTY

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

                                                           LBD15469-01-6

A. 10602                            2

PERCENT OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, TO OVERSEE THE ADAPTATION  OR  RETRO-
FITTING OF ELIGIBLE PROPERTIES.
  4.  "ELIGIBLE  PROPERTY" SHALL MEAN A HOUSING UNIT THAT IS THE PRIMARY
RESIDENCE OF A PERSON THAT IS SIXTY YEARS OF AGE OR  OLDER  AND  HAVE  A
HOUSEHOLD  INCOME THAT DOES NOT EXCEED EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE AREA MEDIAN
INCOME.
  S 1235. RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER HOME  REPAIRS  TO  THE
ELDERLY  CONTRACTS.  1. WITHIN THE LIMIT OF FUNDS AVAILABLE IN THE RESI-
DENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER HOME REPAIRS TO THE ELDERLY PROGRAM,
THE CORPORATION IS HEREBY AUTHORIZED TO ENTER INTO CONTRACTS WITH ELIGI-
BLE APPLICANTS TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THE ACTUAL COSTS OF A
RESIDENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER  HOME  REPAIRS  TO  THE  ELDERLY
PROGRAM.  THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SHALL BE EITHER IN THE FORM OF GRANTS
OR LOANS, AS THE CORPORATION SHALL DETERMINE. FUNDS  MUST  BE  USED  FOR
ONE-  TO  FOUR-UNIT  DWELLINGS  THAT  ARE OWNED AND OCCUPIED BY ELIGIBLE
HOUSEHOLDS, AND WORK UNDERTAKEN CANNOT EXCEED TEN THOUSAND  DOLLARS  PER
BUILDING.  NO MORE THAN FIFTY PERCENT OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT AWARDED PURSU-
ANT  TO  THIS ARTICLE IN ANY FISCAL YEAR SHALL BE ALLOCATED TO ANY RESI-
DENTIAL EMERGENCY SERVICES TO OFFER HOME REPAIRS TO THE ELDERLY  PROGRAM
LOCATED WITHIN ANY SINGLE MUNICIPALITY.
  2. FROM THE DATE OF THE EMERGENCY REFERRAL, THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANT HAS
SEVENTY-TWO HOURS TO RESPOND AND INSPECT THE ELIGIBLE PROPERTY. FROM THE
DATE  OF  THE  INSPECTION  AND  ASSESSMENT OF EMERGENCY REPAIR NEED, THE
ELIGIBLE APPLICANT MUST START THE REPAIRS WITHIN  SEVEN  CALENDAR  DAYS.
ALL  REPAIRS  MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN THIRTY CALENDAR DAYS OF THE START
OF THE REPAIRS.
  3. THE TOTAL PAYMENT PURSUANT TO ANY ONE  CONTRACT  SHALL  NOT  EXCEED
FIVE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  AND  THE  CONTRACT  SHALL  PROVIDE FOR
COMPLETION OF THE PROGRAM WITHIN A REASONABLE PERIOD, AS SPECIFIED THER-
EIN, WHICH SHALL NOT IN ANY EVENT EXCEED THREE YEARS FROM ITS  COMMENCE-
MENT.  UPON REQUEST, THE CORPORATION MAY EXTEND THE TERM OF THE CONTRACT
FOR UP TO TWO ADDITIONAL ONE YEAR PERIODS FOR GOOD CAUSE  SHOWN  BY  THE
ELIGIBLE APPLICANT.
  4.  THE  CORPORATION  SHALL  AUTHORIZE THE ELIGIBLE APPLICANT TO SPEND
SEVEN AND ONE-HALF PERCENT OF THE CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR APPROVED  PLANNING
AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH ADMINISTERING THE PROGRAM.
  S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
it shall have become a law; provided, however, that effective immediate-
ly,  the  addition,  amendment  and/or  repeal of any rule or regulation
necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective  date  are
authorized  and  directed  to  be  made  and completed on or before such
effective date.