File #: T2024-2522    Version: * Name: Notifications regarding applications in New York City’s housing portal and designation of a representative to receive notifications.
Type: Introduction Status: Introduced
Committee: Committee on Housing and Buildings
On agenda: 4/24/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to notifications regarding applications in New York City's housing portal and designation of a representative to receive notifications
Sponsors: Pierina Ana Sanchez, Farah N. Louis, Oswald Feliz, Crystal Hudson, Jennifer Gutiérrez, Amanda Farías, Mercedes Narcisse, Sandy Nurse, Shekar Krishnan, Tiffany Cabán, Erik D. Bottcher, Lynn C. Schulman, Lincoln Restler, Shahana K. Hanif, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
Council Member Sponsors: 15
Summary: This bill would require the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) housing portal to provide users with notification by e-mail and text of any update to their applications. This bill would also require the housing portal to permit a user to designate a representative who would receive notifications of any update to the user’s application, new information posted about a unit selected by the user, a new unit available that matches the user’s prescribed criteria, and any other information deemed appropriate by HPD. The designated representative would also be permitted to create a housing portal account to receive these notifications.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No., 2. Int. No.

Int. No.

 

By Council Members Sanchez, Louis, Feliz, Hudson, Gutiérrez, Farías, Narcisse, Nurse, Krishnan, Cabán, Bottcher, Schulman, Restler, Hanif and Brooks-Powers

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to notifications regarding applications in New York City’s housing portal and designation of a representative to receive notifications

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Paragraph 2 of subdivision a of section 26-1802 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as amended by local law number 81 for the year 2020, is amended to read as follows:

2. Allows a user of such website to:

(a) View limited unit information and offered unit information for listed units;

(b) View full unit information for a listed unit if such user verifies, in a manner established by department rule, that such user is a lawful leaseholder or owner of such unit, provided that this functionality (i) shall only be required on and after January 1, 2021, but may be implemented earlier than such date, and (ii) may be implemented through a system other than the housing portal;

(c) View a selection of listed units based on search criteria entered by such user;

(d) Apply for occupancy of each listed unit for which the owner thereof is accepting applications for occupancy through such website and for which such user appears to be eligible;

(e) Track the progress of applications submitted by such user through such website, including such user's position on waiting lists for listed units;

(f) Automatically populate applications for occupancy of listed units with information provided by such user;

(g) Receive notifications by electronic mail and text message when a new listed unit is posted that matches criteria specified by such user or posted information changes for a listed unit specified by such user;

(h) Obtain limited unit information for listed units in a non-proprietary format that permits automated processing; [and]

(i) Indicate in such website whether such user is interested in being considered for an affordable unit that subsequently becomes vacant, provided that consideration of users for such units may be carried out in a manner determined by the department, users shall only be considered for such units that satisfy their indicated preferences and such website may require users at regular intervals to review and update their relevant profile information[.];

(j) Receive notifications by electronic mail and text message of all updates related to such user’s application, including requests for additional documentation or information, selection of an application for a unit, and rejection of an application; and

(k) Designate a representative who (i) shall receive notifications of any updates related to the user’s application, changes to information about a listed unit specified by the user, posting of a new unit that matches the user’s criteria, or any other changes, updates or activity deemed appropriate by the department, provided the designated representative consents to receive such notifications; and (ii) shall be permitted to create an account on such website, where the designated representative may receive such notifications. 

§ 2. This local law takes effect 60 days after it becomes law.

 

KF

LS #15253/15517

9/19/2024 4:09 PM