Assembly Bill A10457

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   10457
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                               March 6, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of  A. SANTABARBARA -- read once and referred to the
   Committee on Housing
 
 AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to enacting
   the "employer-assisted housing matching grant act"
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  Short  title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
 the "employer-assisted housing matching grant act".
   § 2. Legislative findings and intent.  The  legislature  hereby  finds
 that  the  ability  of  New York's human services workforce to live near
 their place of employment is essential to the stability of programs that
 support individuals with disabilities, mental  health  needs,  substance
 use  disorders,  and  other  vulnerable populations. Non-profit provider
 agencies certified, licensed, or contracted by the  state  face  chronic
 workforce shortages, exacerbated by the high cost of housing. To address
 these  challenges, this act establishes a program to match employer-pro-
 vided housing assistance for care workers, thereby helping such  workers
 to remain stably housed and employed.
   §  3.  The  private  housing  finance  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 47-f to read as follows:
   § 47-F. EMPLOYER-ASSISTED MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM. 1. DEFINITIONS.  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS SECTION, THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING
 MEANINGS:
   (A) "ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE" SHALL MEAN AN INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYED BY AN ELIGI-
 BLE EMPLOYER:
   (I) WHO IS EMPLOYED IN A QUALIFYING CARE WORKFORCE POSITION, INCLUDING
 BUT NOT LIMITED  TO  DIRECT  SUPPORT  PROFESSIONALS,  CERTIFIED  NURSING
 ASSISTANTS,  LICENSED  PRACTICAL  NURSES,  REGISTERED NURSES, BEHAVIORAL
 HEALTH OR HUMAN SERVICES  STAFF,  AND  EARLY  INTERVENTION  AND  SPECIAL
 EDUCATION THERAPISTS;
   (II) WHO WORKS A MINIMUM AVERAGE OF TWENTY HOURS PER WEEK;
   (III) WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME DOES NOT EXCEED ONE HUNDRED FIFTY PERCENT
 OF  AREA MEDIAN INCOME, OR SUCH LOWER LIMIT AS MAY BE SET BY THE EMPLOY-
 ER; AND
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14251-01-5
 A. 10457                            2
 
   (IV) WHO MAINTAINS A PRIMARY RESIDENCE IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.
   (B)  "ELIGIBLE  EMPLOYER"  MEANS  A  NONPROFIT  AGENCY THAT IS FUNDED,
 APPROVED, CERTIFIED, LICENSED, OR CONTRACTED BY THE  OFFICE  FOR  PEOPLE
 WITH  DEVELOPMENTAL  DISABILITIES,  THE  OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, OR THE
 OFFICE OF ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS.
   (C)  "EMPLOYER  CONTRIBUTION"  SHALL  MEAN  CASH  ASSISTANCE  PROVIDED
 DIRECTLY  BY  AN ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER OR REIMBURSED TO AN ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE
 FOR DOCUMENTED HOUSING COSTS, BUT SHALL NOT INCLUDE IN-KIND BENEFITS.
   (D) "PROGRAM" MEANS THE EMPLOYER-ASSISTED HOUSING MATCH GRANT  PROGRAM
 ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   2.  ESTABLISHMENT.  THE  DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL, IN
 CONSULTATION WITH THE OFFICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES,
 THE OFFICE OF MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE OFFICE OF  ADDICTION  SERVICES  AND
 SUPPORTS,  SHALL  ESTABLISH  AND ADMINISTER AN EMPLOYER-ASSISTED HOUSING
 MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM FOR NONPROFIT  PROVIDER  AGENCIES  QUALIFYING  AS
 ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS AS DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION.
   3. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS. ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO PARTIC-
 IPATE  IN  THE PROGRAM. TWO OR MORE ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS MAY APPLY JOINTLY
 THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE OR UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION.
   4. FUND USES. MATCHING GRANT FUNDS DISTRIBUTED BY THE PROGRAM SHALL BE
 APPLIED TOWARD:
   (A) RESIDENTIAL SECURITY DEPOSITS;
   (B) FIRST MONTH'S RENT;
   (C) EMERGENCY RENTAL ARREARS; OR
   (D) DOWN PAYMENT AND CLOSING COSTS FOR A PRIMARY  RESIDENCE,  PROVIDED
 THAT  THE  ELIGIBLE  EMPLOYEE  AGREES TO MAINTAIN SUCH RESIDENCE FOR NOT
 LESS THAN ONE YEAR AFTER PURCHASE.
   5. STATE MATCH. (A) THE STATE SHALL PROVIDE A MATCHING GRANT EQUAL  TO
 FIFTY  PERCENT OF THE EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTION MADE BY AN ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER
 UNDER THE PROGRAM ON BEHALF OF AN ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE, UP TO A MAXIMUM  OF
 THREE THOUSAND DOLLARS PER ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE IN ANY ROLLING TWELVE-MONTH
 PERIOD.
   (B) FUNDS UNDER THE PROGRAM SHALL BE DISBURSED TO THE ELIGIBLE EMPLOY-
 ER UPON SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTATION DEMONSTRATING PAYMENT TO A LANDLORD,
 PROPERTY MANAGER, OR SETTLEMENT AGENT, AS APPLICABLE.
   (C)  ELIGIBLE  EMPLOYEES  MAY  RECEIVE  ASSISTANCE  IN MULTIPLE YEARS,
 PROVIDED THAT THE AGGREGATE DOES NOT EXCEED THE ROLLING CAP.
   6. ADMINISTRATION. (A) THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND  COMMUNITY  RENEWAL
 SHALL  PROMULGATE  REGULATIONS AND GUIDANCE GOVERNING THE ADMINISTRATION
 OF THE PROGRAM, INCLUDING APPLICATION PROCEDURES,  DOCUMENTATION  STAND-
 ARDS, ALLOWABLE USES, AND REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.
   (B) THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL MAY ADVANCE FUNDS TO
 PARTICIPATING  ELIGIBLE  EMPLOYERS  OR REIMBURSE AFTER ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER
 PAYMENT, AND MAY REALLOCATE UNUSED FUNDS AMONG ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS.
   (C) ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM SHALL SUBMIT ANNU-
 AL REPORTS DETAILING THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES ASSISTED, THE TYPE
 OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED, THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT OF SUCH ELIGIBLE EMPLOYER'S
 AND STATE FUNDS DISBURSED, AND ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEE RETENTION  OUTCOMES  TO
 THE EXTENT PRACTICABLE.
   (D)  THE  DIVISION  OF  HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL IS AUTHORIZED TO
 AUDIT ELIGIBLE EMPLOYERS' RECORDS AND RECOVER FUNDS IMPROPERLY USED.
   7. COORDINATION WITH OTHER PROGRAMS.  ELIGIBLE  EMPLOYEES  UNDER  THIS
 SECTION  SHALL NOT BE PROHIBITED FROM RECEIVING OTHER HOUSING ASSISTANCE
 SOLELY FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM.
   8. OUTREACH AND ACCESS. (A) THE  DIVISION  OF  HOUSING  AND  COMMUNITY
 RENEWAL  SHALL DEVELOP AND DISSEMINATE INFORMATIONAL MATERIALS TO ELIGI-
 A. 10457                            3
 
 BLE EMPLOYERS AND ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES REGARDING THE AVAILABILITY  OF  THE
 PROGRAM.
   (B)  APPLICATION  PROCEDURES  SHALL  ENSURE  ACCESSIBILITY,  INCLUDING
 LANGUAGE ACCESS AND AVAILABILITY OF EVENING AND WEEKEND ASSISTANCE.
   9. APPEALS. THE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL ESTAB-
 LISH AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS  FOR  REVIEW  OF  DETERMINATIONS  DENYING
 EMPLOYER OR EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY UNDER THE PROGRAM.
   § 4. Severability clause. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, subdivi-
 sion, or section of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent
 jurisdiction  to  be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or
 invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation
 to the clause, sentence,  paragraph,  subdivision,  or  section  thereof
 directly  involved  in the controversy in which such judgment shall have
 been rendered. It is hereby declared to be the intent of the legislature
 that this act would have been enacted even if  such  invalid  provisions
 had not been included herein.
   § 5. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it  shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be  made  and
 completed on or before such effective date.