Bill > S08676

This bill, known as the "care workforce housing preference act," aims to address housing affordability challenges faced by essential workers in New York's direct care, health, and human services sectors by establishing a housing preference for them in certain affordable housing programs. The preference will apply to developments financed with low-income housing tax credits, bonds issued by the agency, or U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME investment partnership program funds, provided the developer opts in. Households will qualify if at least one member is employed in a qualifying care occupation, such as direct support professionals, certified nursing assistants, nurses, behavioral health or human services staff, and early intervention or special education therapists. The preference will be administered through lottery weighting or tie-breaking procedures and will be available for the first sixty days of each marketing cycle, or until twenty percent of restricted units are leased to eligible households, though developers can choose a lower target of ten or five percent. To encourage adoption, the division of housing and community renewal will award points in its qualified allocation plan for implementing this preference, and developers will be required to create a marketing and outreach plan that includes partnerships with relevant organizations and accessible application assistance.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8676