Establishes uniform waiting list priorities for domestic violence survivors applying for public housing

• Democratic12
• Republican5

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Jamaal Bailey says this is needed

Homelessness shot up in New York State between 2022 and 2023. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), New York had the largest absolute increase in homelessness in the country, with around 40% more people experiencing homelessness. Ample research has shown that there is a strong link between homelessness and domestic violence. According to data provided by New York City's Department of Homeless Services (DHS), in 2023, 20.3% of families with children who entered DHS shelters identified domestic violence as the reason for their homelessness, ahead of overcrowding or evictions. A 2023 New Destiny Housing report found that homeless domestic violence survivors are more likely to move from shelter to shelter instead of permanent housing: "Between 2018 and 2023, more than half of survivors left Human Resources Association (HRA) domestic violence emergency shel- ter for another shelter upon reaching the state-mandated 180-day limit." Access to safe, affordable housing is a top concern for survivors and often determines whether they leave their abuser for good. The federally funded Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program, which provides rental assistance to low-income households, as well as senior citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes, displaced families, and homeless individuals with disabilities, does not explicitly extend its services to domestic violence survivors. The local housing authorities that administer the program are given latitude to establish applicant preferences. For instance, the New York City Housing Authority includes survivors of domestic violence among the groups granted emergency priority for public housing; the housing authorities in Albany, Ulster County, and Ithaca do not mention survivors of domes- tic violence among the groups of prioritized applicants; and the Mamaro- neck Housing Authority has no applicant preferences. This legislation would require that those local housing authorities that have established waiting-list priorities for applicants must give domes- tic violence survivors the same priority as other disenfranchised groups applying for public housing.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.