2023 New York Laws › PBG - Public Housing › Article 14 - Obligation to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing › 600 - Obligation to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

§  600.  Obligation  to affirmatively further fair housing. 1. For the
purposes of this section, the term "covered housing agency"  shall  mean
any  state  department,  agency  or  office  administering  housing  and
community development laws or housing and community development programs
including but not limited to New York state homes and community renewal,
the division of housing  and  community  renewal,  the  New  York  state
housing  finance agency, the affordable housing corporation, the housing
trust fund corporation, the municipal bond bank agency, the state of New
York mortgage agency, any subsidiary  of  the  foregoing  agencies,  any
public housing agency, and any localities receiving funds from any state
department,  agency  or  office  to  administer  programs  or activities
related to housing and community development.
2. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall  administer
all  such  programs  and  activities  related  to  housing and community
development in a manner that affirmatively  furthers  fair  housing  and
shall cooperate with the commissioner to further such purpose.
3.  The  commissioner  and  all  covered  housing  agencies shall take
meaningful actions to:
(a) identify and overcome  patterns  of  residential  segregation  and
housing discrimination;
(b) eradicate racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;
(c) reduce disparities in access to opportunity;
(d) eliminate disproportionate housing needs;
(e) provide the public reasonable and regular opportunities to comment
on   fair   housing  issues  and  participate  in  the  development  and
advancement of affirmative fair housing policy; and
(f) encourage and maintain compliance  with  article  fifteen  of  the
executive  law  and  any  other  applicable  anti-discrimination or fair
housing law.
4. The commissioner and all covered housing  agencies  shall  take  no
action  that  is  materially  inconsistent  with  the obligation of this
section.
5. The commissioner shall:
(a) on or before February first of two thousand twenty-two,  and  each
fifth  year  thereafter,  produce  a  draft  report  that  shall be made
available to the  public.  The  report  shall  include  any  significant
initiatives,  policies,  or  programs  undertaken in furtherance of fair
housing and any recommendations for improving the state of fair  housing
in  New  York. The draft report shall be open to a minimum of twenty-one
days of public comment. The commissioner shall, on or before March tenth
of each year that such report is due, submit the final version  of  said
report  to  the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the temporary
president of the senate. The commissioner shall submit  along  with  the
final  report,  all  comments  received  pursuant  to the public comment
period; and
(b) on or before February  first  of  every  second  and  fourth  year
following the issuance of the full report required pursuant to paragraph
(a)  of  this  subdivision,  prepare  an  interim  report explaining any
progress or significant changes to recommendations included in such full
report and detailing  any  new  significant  initiatives,  policies,  or
programs  that  have been undertaken in furtherance of fair housing. The
interim report shall be submitted to the governor, the  speaker  of  the
assembly, and the temporary president of the senate.