Bill Text: NY A01725 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Authorizes the payment of housing subsidies in the amount of seventy percent of the rental cost of the dwelling unit or the median housing rental cost for the county, whichever is lower, to certain victims of domestic violence.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - referred to social services [A01725 Detail]

Download: New_York-2013-A01725-Introduced.html

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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                         1725
                              2013-2014 Regular Sessions
                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 9, 2013
                                      ___________
       Introduced by M. of A. HOOPER -- read once and referred to the Committee
         on Social Services
       AN  ACT  to amend the social services law, in relation to housing subsi-
         dies for victims of domestic violence
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1. The social services law is amended by adding a new section
    2  131-bb to read as follows:
    3    S 131-BB. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOUSING SUBSIDIES.  1. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
    4  INCONSISTENT PROVISION OF LAW,  EVERY  SOCIAL  SERVICES  DISTRICT  SHALL
    5  OFFER AND PROVIDE HOUSING SUBSIDIES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
    6    2. VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHALL BE ELIGIBLE FOR A SUBSIDY IN THE
    7  AMOUNT OF SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE RENTAL COST OF THE DWELLING UNIT OR THE
    8  MEDIAN  HOUSING  RENTAL  COST  FOR THE COUNTY, WHICHEVER IS LOWER.  SUCH
    9  HOUSING SUBSIDY SHALL BE USED FOR RENTAL PAYMENTS FOR SUCH DWELLING UNIT
   10  AND SHALL NOT BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR MORE THAN ONE YEAR.  THE  PREVAILING
   11  COST OF RENT FOR AN AREA SHALL NOT EXCEED EIGHTY PERCENT OF THE COST FOR
   12  THE REGION.
   13    3.  A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHALL ONLY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE HOUS-
   14  ING SUBSIDY AUTHORIZED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION IN THE EVENT  THAT  SUCH
   15  PERSON:
   16    (A)  IS  A  VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS DEFINED IN ARTICLE SIX-A OF
   17  THIS CHAPTER;
   18    (B) IS NOT OTHERWISE ELIGIBLE FOR SHELTER UNDER THIS ARTICLE OR IN THE
   19  EVENT THAT SUCH SHELTER IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR SUCH PERSON;
   20    (C) HAS A HOUSEHOLD INCOME OF LESS THAN TWELVE  THOUSAND  DOLLARS  AND
   21  ACCESSIBLE CASH RESOURCES OF LESS THAN ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS; AND
   22    (D)  HAS  BEEN  CERTIFIED  AS  A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM BY THE LOCAL
   23  SOCIAL SERVICES DISTRICT.
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05702-01-3
       A. 1725                             2
    1    4. VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE SHALL BE CERTIFIED BY THE LOCAL SOCIAL
    2  SERVICES DISTRICT UPON A FINDING OF:
    3    (A)  A  CRIMINAL  CONVICTION  OF  THE  ASSAILANT OF A SERIOUS CRIMINAL
    4  CHARGE;
    5    (B) THE ISSUANCE OF A  TEMPORARY  OR  PERMANENT  ORDER  OF  PROTECTION
    6  INVOLVING SERIOUS BODILY HARM TO THE VICTIM;
    7    (C)  A POLICE REPORT DOCUMENTING SERIOUS ACCOUNTS OF PHYSICAL DOMESTIC
    8  VIOLENCE;
    9    (D) A SUBSTANTIATED DETERMINATION BY A BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER  COUN-
   10  SELOR THAT A PARTICULAR SHELTER RESIDENT IS IN SERIOUS PHYSICAL DANGER;
   11    (E)  A  SUBSTANTIATED  DETERMINATION BY A RAPE CRISIS CENTER COUNSELOR
   12  THAT A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS IN SERIOUS PHYSICAL DANGER;
   13    (F) A SUBSTANTIATED DETERMINATION BY A CERTIFIED BATTERER'S  TREATMENT
   14  PROGRAM COUNSELOR THAT A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IS IN SERIOUS PHYS-
   15  ICAL DANGER; OR
   16    (G)  THE  REASONABLE  FEAR  OF A BATTERED PERSON THAT SUCH PERSON WILL
   17  ENCOUNTER FURTHER SERIOUS PHYSICAL RETALIATION.
   18    5. THE CONTINUED NEED FOR SUCH  SHELTER  SHALL  BE  REVIEWED  MONTHLY,
   19  EVALUATED  AND  AUTHORIZED MONTHLY BY  A SOCIAL SERVICES OFFICIAL.  SUCH
   20  HOUSING SUBSIDY SHALL BE AVAILABLE IN LIEU OF ANY OTHER ALLOWANCE OTHER-
   21  WISE AVAILABLE FOR SHELTER.
   22    6. THE COMMISSIONER OF THE OFFICE  OF  CHILDREN  AND  FAMILY  SERVICES
   23  SHALL ISSUE REGULATIONS GOVERNING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOUSING SUBSIDIES.
   24    S  2.   This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
   25  have become a law.