S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6016
 
                        2017-2018 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 21, 2017
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  CYMBROWITZ  -- 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.
   § 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.
   § 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 UNIT OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT 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,  INCOR-
 PORATED  UNDER  THE  NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION LAW AND HAS BEEN ENGAGED
 PRIMARILY IN HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00764-03-7
              

 A. 6016                             2
 
   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  ONE
 HUNDRED  PERCENT OF THE AREA MEDIAN INCOME, TO OVERSEE THE ADAPTATION OR
 RETROFITTING 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 ONE HUNDRED PERCENT  OF  THE  AREA
 MEDIAN INCOME.
   § 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; OR AS OTHERWISE DETERMINED BY THE CORPORATION.
   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.
   § 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.