Bill Text: NY S00119 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Enacts the "public housing and safety security act"; grants the division of housing and community renewal the authority to issue grants to public housing authorities or agencies for use in improving security in public housing projects; provides eligible activities for such grants; requires periodic inspection reports and an annual report.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-01-06 - REFERRED TO HOUSING, CONSTRUCTION AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT [S00119 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S00119-Introduced.html

---


                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                          119
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                      (PREFILED)
                                    January 7, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced  by  Sen. SAMPSON -- 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  public housing law, in relation to enacting the
         "public housing safety and security act of 2009"
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  The public housing law is amended by adding a new article
    2  12-A to read as follows:
    3                                ARTICLE 12-A
    4                     PUBLIC HOUSING SAFETY AND SECURITY
    5  SECTION 310. SHORT TITLE.
    6          311. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS.
    7          312. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE GRANTS.
    8          313. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.
    9          314. APPLICATIONS.
   10          315. PERIODIC SAFETY INSPECTIONS.
   11          316. ANNUAL REPORT.
   12    S 310. SHORT TITLE. THIS ARTICLE SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY  BE  CITED  AS
   13  THE "PUBLIC HOUSING SAFETY AND SECURITY ACT OF 2009".
   14    S  311.  LEGISLATIVE  FINDINGS. 1. (A) THE STATE HAS A DUTY TO PROVIDE
   15  PUBLIC HOUSING THAT IS DECENT, SAFE, SECURE AND FREE FROM CRIME;
   16    (B) THOSE WHO LIVE IN PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS IN MANY  AREAS  OF  THIS
   17  STATE  SUFFER FROM RAMPANT CRIME, INCLUDING BREAK-INS, LARCENY, ROBBERY,
   18  BURGLARY AND RAPE;
   19    (C) DRUG DEALERS ARE INCREASINGLY IMPOSING A REIGN OF TERROR ON PUBLIC
   20  HOUSING TENANTS; THE INCREASE IN DRUG-RELATED CRIME NOT  ONLY  LEADS  TO
   21  MURDERS, MUGGINGS, AND OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST TENANTS, BUT ALSO
   22  TO A DETERIORATION OF THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT THAT REQUIRES SUBSTANTIAL
   23  GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES; AND
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD01984-01-9

       S. 119                              2
    1    (D) LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES OFTEN LACK THE RESOURCES TO DEAL
    2  WITH  THE CONSTANT SURVEILLANCE AND PATROLLING IN PUBLIC HOUSING PARTIC-
    3  ULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT REDUCTIONS IN FEDERAL AID TO CITIES.
    4    2.  RECENT EVENTS AT CERTAIN HOUSING PROJECTS, PARTICULARLY THE TILDEN
    5  HOUSING  PROJECTS IN BROOKLYN DEMONSTRATE THAT THESE ISSUES ARE SERIOUS,
    6  PRESSING AND IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE ATTENTION.
    7    S 312. AUTHORITY TO ISSUE GRANTS. THE DIVISION, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
    8  PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE, MAY ISSUE GRANTS TO PUBLIC HOUSING  AUTHORI-
    9  TIES  OR  AGENCIES  FOR  USE  IN  IMPROVING  SECURITY  IN PUBLIC HOUSING
   10  PROJECTS.
   11    S 313. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES. A PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY OR  AGENCY  MAY
   12  USE A GRANT UNDER THIS ARTICLE FOR:
   13    1. THE EMPLOYMENT OF SECURITY PERSONNEL IN PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS;
   14    2.  REIMBURSEMENT  OF  LOCAL  LAW  ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FOR ADDITIONAL
   15  SECURITY AND PROTECTIVE SERVICES FOR PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS;
   16    3. PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENTS IN PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS WHICH ARE  SPECIF-
   17  ICALLY DESIGNED TO ENHANCE SECURITY;
   18    4. TRAINING, COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT, AND OTHER RELATED EQUIPMENT FOR
   19  USE  BY  VOLUNTARY  PUBLIC  HOUSING TENANT PATROLS ACTING IN COOPERATION
   20  WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS;
   21    5. PROVIDING FUNDING TO NONPROFIT PUBLIC HOUSING  RESIDENT  MANAGEMENT
   22  CORPORATIONS  AND TENANT COUNCILS TO DEVELOP SECURITY PROGRAMS INVOLVING
   23  SITE RESIDENTS; AND
   24    6. PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF CAMERAS  THROUGHOUT  PUBLIC  AREAS  OF
   25  PUBLIC HOUSING BUILDINGS.
   26    S  314.  APPLICATIONS.  1.  TO  RECEIVE  A GRANT UNDER THIS ARTICLE, A
   27  PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY OR AGENCY SHALL SUBMIT AN  APPLICATION  TO  THE
   28  COMMISSIONER AT SUCH TIME, IN SUCH MANNER, AND ACCOMPANIED BY SUCH ADDI-
   29  TIONAL  INFORMATION  AS  THE  COMMISSIONER  MAY REASONABLY REQUIRE. SUCH
   30  APPLICATION SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, A PLAN FOR  ADDRESSING
   31  SECURITY CONCERNS/ISSUES AT THE REQUESTING PUBLIC AUTHORITY OR AGENCY.
   32    2.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL  APPROVE  APPLICATIONS UNDER THIS ARTICLE
   33  BASED UPON:
   34    (A) THE EXTENT OF THE CRIME PROBLEM IN THE FACILITIES  OF  THE  PUBLIC
   35  HOUSING PROJECT;
   36    (B)  THE QUALITY OF THE PLAN OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY OR AGENCY
   37  TO ADDRESS SECURITY CONCERNS IN THE PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECT OR PROJECTS;
   38    (C) THE CAPABILITY OF THE PUBLIC HOUSING AUTHORITY OR AGENCY TO  CARRY
   39  OUT THE PLAN; AND
   40    (D)  THE  EXTENT  TO  WHICH  THE  LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL COMMUNITY
   41  SUPPORT THE ANTI-CRIME ACTIVITIES OF THE  PUBLIC  HOUSING  AUTHORITY  OR
   42  AGENCY.
   43    S  315.  PERIODIC  SAFETY  INSPECTIONS. PERIODIC SAFETY INSPECTIONS BY
   44  DIVISION AGENTS OR EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS ARE REQUIRED.  SUCH
   45  INSPECTIONS  SHALL  OCCUR  TWICE PER YEAR AND ENSURE THAT PUBLIC HOUSING
   46  UNITS COMPORT WITH (1) LEAD PAINT REGULATIONS; (2) HAVE  SUFFICIENT  AND
   47  OPERATIONAL  LOCKING  DOORS;  (3) ENTRANCES AND DOORWAYS INTO AND OUT OF
   48  BUILDINGS ARE SECURE AND STRUCTURALLY SOUND; (4) WINDOWS IN PUBLIC AREAS
   49  HAVE ADEQUATE LOCKING DEVICES THAT WORK; AND (5) SUCH OTHER AND  FURTHER
   50  INSPECTION  AS  IS  DEEMED  NECESSARY  BY THE DIVISION. THE AGENCY SHALL
   51  DEVELOP REGULATIONS SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT INSPECTIONS  PURSUANT  TO  THIS
   52  SECTION.
   53    S  316.  ANNUAL  REPORT. THE DIVISION SHALL SUBMIT AN ANNUAL REPORT TO
   54  THE GOVERNOR, TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE, SPEAKER OF  THE  ASSEM-
   55  BLY, MINORITY LEADER OF THE SENATE AND THE MINORITY LEADER OF THE ASSEM-
   56  BLY,  INCLUDING,  BUT  NOT LIMITED TO, OUTLINING THE STATE OF SAFETY AND

       S. 119                              3
    1  SECURITY AT PUBLIC HOUSING UNITS THROUGHOUT THE STATE;  SPECIFIC  BUILD-
    2  INGS  THAT  HAVE  FAILED  DIVISION INSPECTION; VIOLATIONS; AND NUMBER OF
    3  CRIMES THAT HAVE OCCURRED AT EACH PROJECT.
    4    S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    5  it shall have become a law.