N.Y. Public Housing Law § 402-e: Disruption of vital services

§ 402-e. Disruption of vital services. 1. (a) In order to ensure

compliance and enforcement of the New York city housing authority's duty

to provide heat, water, electricity, gas, where provided and elevator

service, the New York city housing authority shall publish information

regarding reported disruptions in such services, the length of such

disruptions and the steps taken to restore services and shall remedy

interruptions of gas service in accordance with subdivision five of this

section. Starting on May first, two thousand twenty, the New York city

housing authority shall publish such information on its website. For six

months after the original publication date, the New York city housing

authority shall retain such information on its website.

(b) When a public utility or local, state or federal agency advises

the New York city housing authority that certain residents of such

authority should avoid the use of water for drinking or cooking, such

authority shall provide written notice, in electronic and paper form, of

such advice to the indicated residents and the resident association

president or other formally recognized resident leader for the indicated

development as soon as practical but no later than twenty-four hours

after such authority has received such advice.

1-a. The New York city housing authority shall establish appropriate

measures, procedures, and guidelines, such as contract requirements and

enforcement mechanisms, to ensure that all of its contractors and

subcontractors, when collecting or examining water samples on behalf of

such authority, comply with all federal, state, and local laws, rules,

and regulations applicable to such collection or examination, including

the provisions of section five hundred two of the public health law.

2. No later than April first, two thousand twenty, the New York city

housing authority shall meet with representatives of the housing part of

the New York city civil court, a representative of public housing

tenants from each borough in the city of New York, and a representative

of a legal services provider with experience representing public housing

tenants in the housing part of the New York city civil court, in order

to review and comment on the New York city housing authority's proposed

additions to its website as described in subdivision one of this

section.

3. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or modify the

manner in which a tenant may report unscheduled interruption in services

to their particular unit when not associated with a broader building or

development unscheduled interruption of services, or to limit the

applicability of the warranty of habitability to New York city housing

authority apartments or to limit the authority of the New York city

council to legislate in the area of housing code violations or with

respect to the New York city department of housing preservation and

development.

4. Nothing in this section shall be deemed to limit or modify the

obligation of the department of housing preservation and development to

inspect and verify the existence of conditions of all kinds in the New

York city housing authority.

5. (a) The New York city housing authority shall remedy an

interruption of gas service as expeditiously as practicable by applying

for any permits necessary to make repairs, as applicable, and

coordinating with agencies and gas corporations on a plan to restore

such service.

(b) The New York city housing authority shall notify residents

affected by any such interruption of the plan to restore such service

developed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subdivision by:

(i) Communicating such plan to residents affected by such interruption

as well as the resident association president or other formally

recognized resident leader;

(ii) Regularly scheduling meetings to update residents affected by

such interruption, as well as the resident association president or

other formally recognized resident leader, about the progress made on

such plan; and

(iii) Posting a notice in the lobby of the building affected by such

interruption describing the interruption and estimating the date on

which service by the gas corporation shall be restored.