Proposed Int. No. 1498-A
By Council Members Torres, Salamanca, Garodnick and Cohen
A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to requiring an office or agency designated by the mayor to provide outreach and education regarding the earned income disallowance benefit to eligible public housing tenants and eligible tenants of other housing programs
Be it enacted by the Council as follows:
Section 1. Title 26 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new chapter 12 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 12
OUTREACH AND EDUCATION RELATED TO THE EARNED INCOME DISALLOWANCE
§ 26-1201 Definitions.
§ 26-1202 Outreach and education related to the earned income disallowance.
§ 26-1201 Definitions. As used in this chapter:
Earned income disallowance. The term “earned income disallowance” means the program described in section 1437a of title 42 of the United States code, as in effect on June 1, 2016, or a similar successor program.
Financial empowerment center. The term “financial empowerment center” means a physical space operated by the department of consumer affairs that provides city residents with free financial counseling services.
Jobs-plus facility. The term “jobs-plus facility” means a physical space in which services or benefits related to a jobs-plus program are provided. The term “jobs-plus program” means the jobs-plus community revitalization initiative for public housing families as authorized by the omnibus consolidated rescissions and appropriations act of 1996, as enacted by section 204 of public law 104-134, such section 204 relating to public housing/section 8 moving to work demonstration, and as announced in page 66856 in number 244 of volume 61 of the federal register or a similar program that provides the following services to assist residents of public housing operated by the New York city housing authority with obtaining and retaining employment: (i) job search assistance; (ii) education programs; (iii) vocational training; (iv) child care, transportation and other support services; and (v) subject to the cooperation of the United States department of housing and urban development and the New York city housing authority, a reasonable rent policy designed to encourage employment and self-sufficiency for participating residents, such as by excluding all or a portion of such resident’s earned or newly earned income for purposes of determining rent.
Public housing. The term “public housing” has the meaning ascribed to such term in section 1437a of title 42 of the United States code.
§ 26-1202 Outreach and education related to the earned income disallowance. a. By June 1, 2017, an office or agency designated by the mayor, in consultation with all relevant agencies, shall establish and implement an outreach and education program to promote the earned income disallowance benefit for eligible public housing tenants, as described in section 960.255 of title 24 of the code of federal regulations, and eligible tenants of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, Housing for Persons with Aids Program, the HOME Investment Partnership Program, and the Supportive Housing Program, as described in section 5.617 of title 24 of the code of federal regulations. Such outreach and education program shall include, but not be limited to: (i) creating educational materials explaining the earned income disallowance benefit, which shall be made available in paper and online and in English and the six languages most commonly spoken by limited English proficient individuals in the city as determined by the department of city planning; (ii) conducting targeted outreach to all public housing tenants and tenants of other eligible housing programs who may be eligible for the earned income disallowance benefit; (iii) holding outreach events in public housing developments and buildings of other eligible housing programs and at financial empowerment centers and jobs-plus facilities; and (iv) ensuring that information about the earned income disallowance benefit is available at all financial empowerment centers and jobs-plus facilities.
b. In 2017 and each calendar year thereafter, such office or agency designated by the mayor shall make publicly available online and submit to the council a report on the outreach and education efforts described in subdivision a.
§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.
FM/GP
LS # 8564
3/3/171:45 PM