N.Y. Public Housing Law § 153: Relocation of displaced tenants

§ 153. Relocation of displaced tenants. 1. (a) Authorities shall have

the power to assist in relocating in suitable accommodations at rentals

within their means families of low income who have been or will be

deprived of dwellings within areas or buildings which have been or will

be cleared or demolished. In connection with any project, the authority

shall maintain or provide for the maintenance of tenant placement

service in which there shall be recorded lists of untenanted suitable

dwellings available to families of low income and shall furnish such

information to such families. Authorities shall from time to time make

studies and surveys of dwelling units which may become unoccupied and

available to families of low income and shall also make arrangements

with owners and lessors of such dwellings for registration thereof with

the tenant placement service.

(b) In connection with any state or municipal project, an authority

may pay so much of the necessary cost of removal of families of low

income, and of business or commercial tenants, from the area or

buildings to be cleared for the development of the project to suitable

locations in such cases and in such amounts as may be approved by the

commissioner in the case of a state project or municipality in case of a

municipal project, but, except as otherwise provided by law, in no event

more than four hundred dollars for any family, nor more than three

thousand dollars for any business or commercial tenant. Removal costs so

paid by an authority shall be included in the project cost.

(c) In connection with the development of any federal project, an

authority may contract with the federal government and with a

municipality to accept and distribute relocation payments as may be

agreed upon.

2. Any person or family residing in an area or building to be cleared

or demolished by an authority or municipality in connection with the

development of a project under this chapter may be admitted to a

dwelling in any project of the authority or municipality if the probable

aggregate annual income of such person or family does not exceed the

income limit for continued occupancy established by the authority or

municipality for the dwelling to which such person or family is

admitted.

3. Until July first nineteen hundred seventy whenever an agency as

defined in subdivision five of section five hundred two of the general

municipal law undertakes the clearance, rehabilitation, conservation or

renewal of an area, or an authority or municipality undertakes the

clearance, replanning, re-construction or rehabilitation of a

substandard or insanitary area in connection with a project as defined

in this chapter, and if the commissioner determines in the case of an

urban renewal project financially assisted by the state as provided in

sections five hundred eight, five hundred nine and five hundred ten of

the general municipal law or in the case of a state project as defined

in this chapter that the area of such a project is one to which this

subdivision shall apply, and an authority or municipality finds that

there are not available suitable dwellings for the relocation of persons

or families of low income who will be deprived of dwellings within the

area of such a project, such authority or municipality may, with the

approval of the commissioner in the case of state projects, relocate

such persons or families by admission to a dwelling in any project of

the authority or municipality. The income of a family relocated pursuant

to this subdivision shall not be subject to the limitation prescribed in

subdivision one (a) of section one hundred fifty-six of this chapter.

Notwithstanding any general, special or local law, each person or family

admitted to a project pursuant to this subdivision shall be required to

move from such project within one year from the date of admission unless

the income of the family is within the limits prescribed for continued

occupancy in the project and, in the opinion of the authority or

municipality, the removal of the family from the project would occasion

undue hardship.