Makes a community center physically located within a New York city housing authority facility eligible to apply for and receive funding from the nonprofit infrastructure capital investment program.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A7831
SPONSOR: Anderson TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the public housing law, in relation to making certain
community centers eligible for nonprofit infrastructure capital invest-
ment program awards
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
This bill amends the public housing law by adding a new section 402-e
allowing a community center physically located within a New York City
Housing Authority facility to be eligible to apply for and receive fund-
ing from the nonprofit infrastructure capital investment program.
JUSTIFICATION:
This bill would allow non-profits which provide vital social services
for children, youth, and seniors in NYCHA-owned facilities to access
infrastructure funding through the nonprofit infrastructure capital
investment program for the purpose of building or property maintenance
or improvements, structural maintenance or improvements, or building
systems maintenance or improvements.
Across New York City, NYCHA owns 36 standalone community centers and 202
community facilities located within residential buildings. Non-profits
occupy many of these spaces, running EarlyLearn programs, providing
afterschool services, offering meals and activities for seniors, provid-
ing arts education, and training for employment. However, the physical
infrastructure of the centers and community facilities have become so
dilapidated that it is frequently unsafe for them to open to the public.
Service provision is regularly halted for extended periods of time, to
the detriment of the families and individuals these centers are intended
to serve.
According to NYCHA's 2017 physical needs assessment, the total 5-year
capital need for the 36 standalone community centers and the 202 commu-
nity facilities located within residential buildings is $489 million.
NYCHA is unable to address the needs of these centers and community
facilities because their resources have gone towards the remediation of
toxic lead and mold in the residential units as well as other safety and
quality-of-life concerns. Given the backlog in the work to perform these
repairs and abatements, these community centers are unlikely to see
investment from NYCHA for years, or even decades.
Out of recognition of the urgency of the situation, NYCHA has agreed to
establish an expedited process to approve project plans-including build-
ing or property maintenance or improvements, structural maintenance or
improvements, or building systems maintenance or improvements-initiated
and executed by the non-profits that occupy these centers and community
facilities. This expedited approval process will be moot without addi-
tional financial resources for these projects.
The nonprofit infrastructure capital investment program was established
to address the unmet capital needs facing nonprofit-operated community
spaces throughout the State. However, this funding has historically been
unavailable to non-profits operating in NYCHA-owned facilities, despite
these facilities facing some of the most severe building repair needs.
For these reasons, the nonprofit infrastructure capital investment
program should be amended to allow its funds to go to this purpose.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-2020: A.7483
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None. This bill expands eligibility for an existing fund.
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have
become a law.
