Bill
A 8412
Expands and clarifies who can succeed to a NYCHA lease when a tenant dies or leaves, improving housing stability for household members and setting eligibility rules.
Status and sponsors
- Bill No.: A.8412 (Substituted by S.8311A)
- Primary sponsor: Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn
- Cosponsors: Nikki Lucas; Grace Lee
- Introduced: May 14, 2025
- Legislative actions (selected): Referred to Housing (5/14/2025); multiple committee amendments and reprints (A8412A–D); reported to floor (6/9/2025); amended on third reading (A8412D, 6/10/2025); substituted by companion bill S.8311A (6/16/2025).
Purpose and intent
- The bill’s title indicates its purpose is to change or clarify succession rights for tenants of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) properties — i.e., to modify who may succeed to a NYCHA tenancy when an eligible household member or the named tenant dies, is permanently absent, or otherwise vacates.
- The general policy objective of such legislation is to protect housing stability for household members and to align NYCHA succession rules with statutory intent or recent housing policy changes.
What is known and what is not
- The official text of the Assembly print linked in the record (A8412A–D) was not available in readable form in the materials provided. The Assembly record shows multiple amendments and a substitution by S.8311A, which suggests the Senate companion contains the working/updated language.
- Because the precise statutory changes are not present in the supplied text, the summary below combines the known legislative context with the typical kinds of provisions such a bill would contain. For the final operative language, consult the text of S.8311A or the latest published Assembly/Senate print.
Typical key provisions (likely scope of A.8412)
- Expands or clarifies the class of persons eligible to succeed to a NYCHA tenancy (examples often include: spouses/partners, family members who resided with the tenant for a specified period, primary caregivers, or persons designated by the tenant).
- Establishes documentary or residency requirements to qualify as a successor (e.g., continuous residence for a set number of months/years prior to the tenant’s death or departure).
- Provides procedural protections: timelines for submitting succession applications, standards for notice and hearings, and limits on immediate eviction while succession is processed.
- May bar succession where the prospective successor is subject to certain disqualifying criminal or lease-violation histories.
- Could require NYCHA to adopt or update regulations and training to implement the statutory changes, and to notify tenants about succession rights.
Who would be affected
- Directly: NYCHA tenants and household members (spouses, relatives, partners, long-term cohabitants, caregivers) seeking to succeed to a public housing lease.
- Indirectly: NYCHA administration (policy implementation, appeals processing), legal services and tenant advocacy organizations, and the broader public-housing waiting list dynamics.
Potential impacts
- Increased housing stability for household members who have lived in NYCHA units and who would otherwise lose housing after a tenant’s death or departure.
- Administrative impacts for NYCHA: changes to application processing, documentation rules, intake staff training, and potentially more succession determinations to review.
- Possible effects on unit occupancy turnover and waitlist management depending on eligibility expansion.
Procedural/timing notes
- Multiple amendments and reprints indicate the bill was actively negotiated in committee (Housing; subsequently referred to Ways and Means).
- The Assembly substituted the bill with S.8311A (Senate companion) on 6/16/2025 — the Senate text likely contains the operative language moving forward.
Recommended next steps to review exact language
- Read the text of S.8311A (the substitute/companion bill) on the New York State Legislature website or the Assembly bill tracking pages for the definitive provisions.
- If advising stakeholders, review NYCHA’s current succession policy and any agency guidance to compare with the proposed changes.
If you want, I can retrieve and summarize the text of S.8311A (the substituted companion) or compare NYCHA’s current succession rules with the bill’s language once the readable text is available.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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