Int. No. 229-A
By Council Members Cabán, Ayala, Hudson, Brewer, Stevens, Williams, Restler, Abreu, Krishnan, Nurse, Won, Riley, Avilés, De La Rosa, Ossé, Hanif, Richardson Jordan, Gutiérrez, Schulman, Farías, Sanchez, Joseph, Narcisse, Powers, Marte, Rivera, Barron, Brooks-Powers, Mealy, Feliz, Brannan, Dinowitz, Salamanca and the Public Advocate (Mr. Williams)
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to monthly rental assistance payments for households with rental assistance vouchers
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Section 21-145 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by a local law for the year 2023, relating to income and work requirements for rental assistance, as proposed in introduction number 894-A, is amended by adding new subdivisions d, e, and f to read as follows:
d. Amount of monthly rental assistance. The department shall provide monthly rental assistance to an owner or a landlord on behalf of a household in receipt of a rental assistance voucher in the amount equal to the actual monthly rent of the leased apartment or single room occupancy, up to the maximum rental allowance, minus the household rent contribution. The department shall not deduct a utility allowance from such amount.
e. Utility allowance deduction. 1. The department shall provide that when a household rents an apartment or single room occupancy for less than the maximum rental allowance, the household rent contribution shall be reduced by the difference between the maximum rental allowance and the actual rent, up to the amount of the utility allowance.
2. If the amount by which the household rent contribution is reduced pursuant to paragraph 1 of this subdivision is greater than the household’s rent contribution, the department shall issue a check to the household in the amount of such excess within the month in which such excess is accrued.
3. If the household receives a shelter allowance that is reduced by the amount allowed by paragraph 1 of this subdivision, the department shall issue a check to the household in the amount of such reduction within the month in which such reduction is accrued.
f. Within 15 days of the effective date of the local law that added subdivision d, e, and f of this section, and continuing thereafter, the commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner of housing preservation and development, shall conduct culturally appropriate outreach on this section to relevant agencies, stakeholders, landlords, and families and individuals experiencing homelessness in the designated citywide languages, as defined in section 23-1101.
§ 2. This local law takes effect on the same date as a local law for the year 2023 amending the administrative code of the city of New York, relating to prohibiting the department of social services from requiring an applicant for a rental assistance voucher to have resided or reside in a shelter of any type, as proposed in introduction number 878-A, takes effect.
NLB/DR
LS #7628
5/17/2023 9:50 pm