Senate Bill S1843

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S1843

SPONSOR: HOYLMAN-SIGAL
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the public housing law, in relation to requiring public
housing authorities with housing complexes containing one hundred or
more units to provide food and drinking water for all tenants in the
affected buildings each day of a water service disruption

 
PURPOSE:

To create a process for ensuring public housing residents are provided
food and water when their cooking and drinking water is disrupted.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1 amends the public housing law by adding a new section that
would require public housing authorities with housing complexes contain-
ing one hundred or more units to provide at three meals or meal vouchers
a day and drinking water for all residents of buildings affected by a
disruption lasting longer than 24 hours, and notification requirements
              

for this program.

Section 2 is the effective date. This act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

When tenants are prevented from drinking or cooking in their building
because of concerns about water contamination, it can be incredibly
disruptive and costly. Instead of cooking at home, tenants are forced to
buy prepared meals and bottled water in order to feed themselves.
Tenants should not have to bear this extra cost while the public housing
authority restores their water. Most recently, Jacob Riis Houses, a
public housing complex in Manhattan, had to bar residents from drinking
and cooking due to possible contamination. While tenants were provided
with bottled drinking water, the nearly 4,000 residents of the complex
were not provided meals and were reliant on donations or paying out of
pocket for every meal. This bill would require public housing authori-
ties with housing complexes containing one hundred or more units to
provide at three meals a day and drinking water for all residents of
buildings affected by a disruption lasting longer than 24 hours.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

S.581 of 2023-2024 (Hoylman-Sigal): Died in Housing, Construction and
Community Development

A.3251 of 2023-2024 (Epstein): Died in Housing S.9557 of 2021-2022
(Hoylman): Died in Rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.