Bill Text: NY S03933 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Authorizes guidelines for granting contracts to disabled veterans eligible under the home for heroes program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-14 - PRINT NUMBER 3933C [S03933 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S03933-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Authorizes guidelines for granting contracts to disabled veterans eligible under the home for heroes program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 4-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-03-14 - PRINT NUMBER 3933C [S03933 Detail]
Download: New_York-2017-S03933-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 3933 2017-2018 Regular Sessions IN SENATE January 30, 2017 ___________ Introduced by Sen. YOUNG -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Veterans, Homeland Securi- ty and Military Affairs AN ACT to amend the private housing finance law, in relation to disabled veteran access to home for heroes contracts The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. The private housing finance law is amended by adding a new 2 article 28 to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE XXVIII 4 NEW YORK ACCESS TO HOME FOR HEROES PROGRAM 5 Section 1240. Statement of legislative findings and purpose. 6 1241. Definitions. 7 1242. Access to home for heroes contracts. 8 § 1240. Statement of legislative findings and purpose. The legislature 9 hereby finds and declares that many disabled veterans in New York state 10 face a significant impediment to accessible and affordable housing as a 11 result of service related injuries, age or health related disabilities. 12 These men and women have served our country and state with honor and 13 distinction and deserve to achieve maximum independence, social inter- 14 action and community integration. Providing financial assistance with 15 the cost of adapting the dwelling units of our disabled veterans, is 16 fundamental to providing for the promise of living safely, comfortably 17 and productively in the most integrated setting of their choice. 18 § 1241. Definitions. As used in this article: 19 1. "Corporation" shall mean the housing trust fund corporation estab- 20 lished in section forty-five-a of this chapter. 21 2. "Eligible applicant" shall mean a city, town, village or not-for- 22 profit corporation in existence for a period of one or more years prior 23 to application, which is, or will be at the time of award, incorporated EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD09257-01-7S. 3933 2 1 under the not-for-profit corporation law and has substantial experience 2 in adapting or retrofitting homes for persons with disabilities. 3 3. "Veteran" shall mean a resident of this state, who has served on 4 active duty in the United States army, navy, air force, marine corps, 5 coast guard, and/or the army national guard, air national guard, New 6 York guard and/or the New York naval militia, who has been released from 7 such service by honorable discharge or general discharge. 8 4. "Disabled veteran" shall mean a veteran who is certified by the 9 federal Department of Veterans Affairs through a disability statement or 10 by the federal Department of Defense through his or her DD214. 11 5. "Access to home for heroes programs" or "programs" shall mean a 12 series of activities by an eligible applicant to administer funds to 13 provide grants to homeowners and renters and to oversee the adaptation 14 or retrofitting of eligible properties. 15 6. "Eligible property" shall mean a housing unit that is the primary 16 residence of a disabled veteran or veteran with a physical disability 17 and a total household income that does not exceed one hundred and twenty 18 percent of area median income. A property shall not be considered an 19 eligible property if the owner of the property is otherwise obligated by 20 federal, state or local law to provide the improvements funded under 21 this article. 22 § 1242. Access to home for heroes contracts. 1. Within the limit of 23 funds available in the access to home for heroes program, the corpo- 24 ration is hereby authorized to enter into contracts with eligible appli- 25 cants to provide financial assistance for the actual costs of an access 26 to home for heroes program. The financial assistance shall be in the 27 form of grants. No more than fifty percent of the total amount awarded 28 pursuant to this article in any fiscal year shall be allocated to access 29 to home programs located within any single municipality. The corporation 30 shall make a concerted effort to provide geographic distribution in the 31 awarding of program funds to afford maximum statewide impact for disa- 32 bled veterans. 33 2. The total payment pursuant to any one contract shall not exceed 34 five hundred thousand dollars and the contract shall provide for 35 completion of the program within a reasonable period, as specified ther- 36 ein, which shall not in any event exceed three years from its commence- 37 ment. Upon request, the corporation may extend the term of the contract 38 for up to two additional one year periods for good cause shown by the 39 eligible applicant. 40 3. The corporation may authorize the eligible applicant to spend up to 41 seven and one-half percent of the contract amount for approved adminis- 42 trative costs associated with administering the program. 43 4. The corporation shall require that, in order to receive funds 44 pursuant to this article, the eligible applicant shall submit a plan 45 which shall include, but not be limited to, program feasibility, impact 46 on the community, budget for expenditure of program funds, a schedule 47 for completion of the program, affirmative action and minority business 48 participation. 49 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
