Laura
05-18-2010, 01:58 PM
For Immediate
Release
Date: May 18, 2010
Contact: Keith Powers
(212) 605-0937
Assembly Passes Bing’s Legislation to Ensure Fair Housing Opportunities for Disabled Individuals
Assemblymember Jonathan Bing (D-Manhattan) today announced passage of two bills aimed at ensuring that disabled individuals have fair housing opportunities. Bing’s legislation was passed during the New York State Assembly’s annual Disabilities Awareness Day.
“We must ensure that our State is doing everything possible to provide equitable housing access to New Yorkers with disabilities,” said Bing. “It is important that we continue to give our State agencies the necessary tools to fight for individuals with disabilities in New York.”
The Assembly passed Bing’s legislation (A. 9757) to give State agencies enforcement capability over Federal laws regarding disability housing. Currently, Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act requires that housing developments financed with federal money provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities, and make efforts to advertise available disability housing to relevant groups. In many cases, even those developers who have accepted federal funds and are in architectural compliance have not marketed these accessible units to eligible individuals with disabilities. However, even when developers do not meet the federal standards for disability access, State agencies best equipped to monitor and enforce these rules have been left to appeal to larger Federal departments for assistance.
Assemblymember Bing’s legislation will give New York State agencies, including the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), the ability to identify and investigate violations of Section 504, and enforce penalties for non-compliance with the federal law. By incorporating these federal provisions into existing state law and empowering state agencies to act on violations, the legislation empowers state agencies to act while strengthening New York’s commitment to equitable housing access for individuals with disabilities.
The Assembly also passed Bing’s legislation (A. 10689) to prohibit discrimination by landlords on the basis of a tenant’s source of income. Currently, landlords often reject tenants with rental subsidies, such as Section 8 vouchers. Many people with disabilities rely on those subsidies and other assistance programs to live independently in the community. This legislation would make discrimination by landlords based on a tenant’s source of income illegal, similar to laws already passed in New York City and Nassau County.
Assemblymember Bing represents the 73rd Assembly District in Manhattan, which includes East Midtown, Sutton Place, Turtle Bay, and the Upper East Side. Bing served as the Chair of the Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities from May 2009 to March 2010.
Release
Date: May 18, 2010
Contact: Keith Powers
(212) 605-0937
Assembly Passes Bing’s Legislation to Ensure Fair Housing Opportunities for Disabled Individuals
Assemblymember Jonathan Bing (D-Manhattan) today announced passage of two bills aimed at ensuring that disabled individuals have fair housing opportunities. Bing’s legislation was passed during the New York State Assembly’s annual Disabilities Awareness Day.
“We must ensure that our State is doing everything possible to provide equitable housing access to New Yorkers with disabilities,” said Bing. “It is important that we continue to give our State agencies the necessary tools to fight for individuals with disabilities in New York.”
The Assembly passed Bing’s legislation (A. 9757) to give State agencies enforcement capability over Federal laws regarding disability housing. Currently, Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act requires that housing developments financed with federal money provide accommodations for individuals with disabilities, and make efforts to advertise available disability housing to relevant groups. In many cases, even those developers who have accepted federal funds and are in architectural compliance have not marketed these accessible units to eligible individuals with disabilities. However, even when developers do not meet the federal standards for disability access, State agencies best equipped to monitor and enforce these rules have been left to appeal to larger Federal departments for assistance.
Assemblymember Bing’s legislation will give New York State agencies, including the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR), the ability to identify and investigate violations of Section 504, and enforce penalties for non-compliance with the federal law. By incorporating these federal provisions into existing state law and empowering state agencies to act on violations, the legislation empowers state agencies to act while strengthening New York’s commitment to equitable housing access for individuals with disabilities.
The Assembly also passed Bing’s legislation (A. 10689) to prohibit discrimination by landlords on the basis of a tenant’s source of income. Currently, landlords often reject tenants with rental subsidies, such as Section 8 vouchers. Many people with disabilities rely on those subsidies and other assistance programs to live independently in the community. This legislation would make discrimination by landlords based on a tenant’s source of income illegal, similar to laws already passed in New York City and Nassau County.
Assemblymember Bing represents the 73rd Assembly District in Manhattan, which includes East Midtown, Sutton Place, Turtle Bay, and the Upper East Side. Bing served as the Chair of the Assembly Task Force on People with Disabilities from May 2009 to March 2010.