BILL NUMBER: S9652
SPONSOR: BOTTCHER
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to artist preferences in housing
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
The bill addresses a "technicality" in the city's human rights law that
currently restricts, or makes it unclear, whether housing developments
can offer an artist preference.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the New York City administrative law to allow for
artist housing in the City of New York.
Section 2 establishes an effective date of 90 days.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Affordable housing has become increasingly out of reach for artists and
the city has failed to meaningfully deliver on housing for artists. This
conies as other cities across the nation - even others across New York
State - are building housing for artists and helping them succeed, New
York City has become an unfortunate outlier in this pattern.
One reason is because of the New York City human rights law that
prevents housing from being built for artists. The human rights law
prevents discrimination on the basis of occupation, which prevents the
city's Department of Housing Preservation and-Development (HAD) and
non-profit affordable housing developers from creating housing for
artists.
Despite best intentions, the city's human rights law is having a nega-
tive effect on our ability to create housing for artists in the city.
This legislation makes clear that housing programs that give preference
to artists would not violate the human rights law that prohibits
discrimination on the basis of occupation.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
None.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
The act would take effect 90 days after it becomes law.

Statutes affected:
S9652: 8-107 administrative code of the city of New York as amended by local law, 8-107(5) administrative code of the city of New York as amended by local law