§ 600 — Obligation to affirmatively further fair housing

§ 600. Obligation to affirmatively further fair housing. 1. For the\npurposes of this section, the term "covered housing agency" shall mean\nany state department, agency or office administering housing and\ncommunity development laws or housing and community development programs\nincluding but not limited to New York state homes and community renewal,\nthe division of housing and community renewal, the New York state\nhousing finance agency, the affordable housing corporation, the housing\ntrust fund corporation, the municipal bond bank agency, the state of New\nYork mortgage agency, any subsidiary of the foregoing agencies, any\npublic housing agency, and any localities receiving funds from any state\ndepartment, agency or office to administer programs or activities\nrelated to housing and community development.\n 2. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall administer\nall such programs and activities related to housing and community\ndevelopment in a manner that affirmatively furthers fair housing and\nshall cooperate with the commissioner to further such purpose.\n 3. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall take\nmeaningful actions to:\n (a) identify and overcome patterns of residential segregation and\nhousing discrimination;\n (b) eradicate racially or ethnically concentrated areas of poverty;\n (c) reduce disparities in access to opportunity;\n (d) eliminate disproportionate housing needs;\n (e) provide the public reasonable and regular opportunities to comment\non fair housing issues and participate in the development and\nadvancement of affirmative fair housing policy; and\n (f) encourage and maintain compliance with article fifteen of the\nexecutive law and any other applicable anti-discrimination or fair\nhousing law.\n 4. The commissioner and all covered housing agencies shall take no\naction that is materially inconsistent with the obligation of this\nsection.\n 5. The commissioner shall:\n (a) on or before February first of two thousand twenty-two, and each\nfifth year thereafter, produce a draft report that shall be made\navailable to the public. The report shall include any significant\ninitiatives, policies, or programs undertaken in furtherance of fair\nhousing and any recommendations for improving the state of fair housing\nin New York. The draft report shall be open to a minimum of twenty-one\ndays of public comment. The commissioner shall, on or before March tenth\nof each year that such report is due, submit the final version of said\nreport to the governor, the speaker of the assembly, and the temporary\npresident of the senate. The commissioner shall submit along with the\nfinal report, all comments received pursuant to the public comment\nperiod; and\n (b) on or before February first of every second and fourth year\nfollowing the issuance of the full report required pursuant to paragraph\n(a) of this subdivision, prepare an interim report explaining any\nprogress or significant changes to recommendations included in such full\nreport and detailing any new significant initiatives, policies, or\nprograms that have been undertaken in furtherance of fair housing. The\ninterim report shall be submitted to the governor, the speaker of the\nassembly, and the temporary president of the senate.\n