Senate Bill S8676

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8676
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  FAHY  --  read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction  and
   Community Development
 
 AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to enacting
   the "care workforce housing preference 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 "care workforce housing preference act".
   §  2.  Legislative  findings  and intent. The legislature hereby finds
 that New York's direct care, health, and  human  services  workforce-in-
 cluding  direct  support  professionals,  certified  nursing assistants,
 licensed practical nurses,  registered  nurses,  behavioral  health  and
 human services staff, and early intervention and special education ther-
 apists-faces severe housing affordability challenges that threaten work-
 force  recruitment  and retention. To address these challenges, this act
 establishes a fair-housing compliant preference for members of the  care
 workforce in certain affordable housing programs.
   §  3.  The  private  housing  finance  law  is amended by adding a new
 section 47-f to read as follows:
   § 47-F. CARE  WORKFORCE  HOUSING  PREFERENCE.  1.  APPLICABILITY.  THE
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY TO:
   (A) ANY LOW-INCOME HOUSING TAX CREDIT DEVELOPMENT FINANCED WITH EITHER
 NINE PERCENT OR FOUR PERCENT BONDS AND CREDITS;
   (B)  RENTAL  HOUSING  DEVELOPMENTS  FINANCED  WITH BONDS ISSUED BY THE
 AGENCY; AND
   (C) RENTAL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS ASSISTED WITH U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUS-
 ING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT'S HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP  PROGRAM  FUNDS,
 PROVIDED THAT THE SPONSOR ELECTS TO ADOPT SUCH PREFERENCE.
   2.  ELIGIBLE  HOUSEHOLDS. A HOUSEHOLD SHALL QUALIFY FOR THE CARE WORK-
 FORCE HOUSING PREFERENCE IF AT LEAST ONE  MEMBER  OF  THE  HOUSEHOLD  IS
 EMPLOYED  IN  A QUALIFYING CARE OCCUPATION, AS DETERMINED BY THE AGENCY,
 INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (A) DIRECT SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS;
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD14233-01-5
 S. 8676                             2
 
   (B) CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS;
   (C) LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSES AND REGISTERED NURSES;
   (D)  BEHAVIORAL  HEALTH  OR  HUMAN  SERVICES  STAFF,  INCLUDING  THOSE
 EMPLOYED BY PROGRAMS OVERSEEN BY THE OFFICE  FOR  PEOPLE  WITH  DEVELOP-
 MENTAL  DISABILITIES,  THE  OFFICE  OF  MENTAL HEALTH, AND THE OFFICE OF
 ADDICTION SERVICES AND SUPPORTS; AND
   (E) EARLY INTERVENTION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION THERAPISTS.
   3. METHOD OF APPLICATION. (A) THE PREFERENCE UNDER THIS SECTION  SHALL
 BE ADMINISTERED THROUGH LOTTERY WEIGHTING OR TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES.
   (B)  THE  PREFERENCE  UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A SET-A-
 SIDE, AND ALL INCOME-ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS SHALL REMAIN  ELIGIBLE  REGARD-
 LESS OF EMPLOYMENT STATUS.
   4.  PREFERENCE  WINDOW  AND CAP. (A) THE PREFERENCE UNDER THIS SECTION
 SHALL APPLY DURING THE FIRST SIXTY DAYS OF EACH MARKETING CYCLE, INCLUD-
 ING INITIAL LEASE-UP AND ANY SUBSEQUENT RE-RENTAL PERIODS.
   (B) THE PREFERENCE UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL APPLY UNTIL NO  MORE  THAN
 TWENTY  PERCENT  OF  RESTRICTED  UNITS  IN THE DEVELOPMENT ARE LEASED TO
 HOUSEHOLDS DEEMED  ELIGIBLE  UNDER  SUBDIVISION  TWO  OF  THIS  SECTION;
 PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  THAT A PROJECT SPONSOR MAY ELECT TO IMPLEMENT A TEN
 PERCENT OR FIVE PERCENT TARGET.
   5. QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN SCORING. (A) THE DIVISION OF HOUSING  AND
 COMMUNITY RENEWAL SHALL AMEND THE QUALIFIED ALLOCATION PLAN TO ADD A NEW
 SCORING  CATEGORY  ENTITLED  "CARE WORKFORCE HOUSING". UP TO FIVE POINTS
 MAY BE AWARDED AS FOLLOWS:
   (I) FIVE POINTS FOR ADOPTION OF THE PREFERENCE AT  TWENTY  PERCENT  OF
 UNITS  TOGETHER  WITH  SUBMISSION OF A VERIFIED CARE WORKFORCE MARKETING
 AND OUTREACH PLAN;
   (II) THREE POINTS FOR ADOPTION OF THE PREFERENCE  AT  TEN  PERCENT  OF
 UNITS TOGETHER WITH SUCH PLAN;
   (III)  ONE  POINT  FOR  ADOPTION  OF THE PREFERENCE AT FIVE PERCENT OF
 UNITS TOGETHER WITH SUCH PLAN.
   (B) THE DIVISION MAY ALSO RECOGNIZE ADOPTION OF THE  PREFERENCE  UNDER
 THIS  SECTION  AS  A  STATE-DESIGNATED PRIORITY ELIGIBLE FOR BASIS BOOST
 WHERE NECESSARY.
   6. CARE  WORKFORCE  MARKETING  AND  OUTREACH  PLAN.  A  MARKETING  AND
 OUTREACH PLAN SHALL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
   (A)  NAMED PARTNERSHIPS WITH PROVIDER AGENCIES, UNIONS, HOSPITALS, AND
 OTHER ENTITIES REPRESENTING THE CARE WORKFORCE;
   (B) PROVISION OF APPLICATION  MATERIALS  IN  MULTIPLE  LANGUAGES,  AND
 AVAILABILITY OF EVENING AND WEEKEND APPLICATION ASSISTANCE;
   (C) VOUCHER-NEUTRAL SCREENING POLICIES;
   (D) WEEKLY TRACKING OF APPLICATION SOURCES; AND
   (E)  CLOSE-OUT AND ANNUAL REPORTING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PREF-
 ERENCE UNDER THIS SECTION.
   7. EFFECTIVENESS AND REGULATIONS. (A) THE PROVISIONS OF  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL APPLY TO DEVELOPMENTS UNDER SUBDIVISION ONE OF THIS SECTION BEGIN-
 NING  UPON  THE FIRST CALENDAR QUARTER NEXT SUCCEEDING THE DATE ON WHICH
 THIS SECTION SHALL HAVE BECOME A LAW.
   (B) THE AGENCY SHALL BE AUTHORIZED  TO  PROMULGATE  ANY  RULES  AND/OR
 REGULATIONS NECESSARY TO EFFECTUATE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION.
   § 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
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 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 immediately.