[Adopted 6-24-2008 by Res. No. 527-2008 (Ch. 860, Art. III,
of the 1985 Code)]
A.
The adequacy of housing for public assistance recipients is of long-standing
concern in Suffolk County.
B.
The County is not in the best position to know that housing accommodations
for public assistance recipients are not in compliance with local
building codes or that landlords have allowed housing units to fall
into substandard conditions, which conditions may place public assistance
recipients who reside in them at risk with respect to their health
and safety.
C.
This Legislature has determined that it shall be the policy of the
County to endeavor to locate alternative housing accommodations for
public assistance recipients residing in substandard housing who wish
to receive such assistance.
The Department of Social Services ("Department"), upon receipt
of a written notice from a Suffolk County Town Supervisor or Village
Mayor containing a list, at any one time, of up to 10 public assistance
housing accommodations that are in violation of applicable building
codes, ordinances or regulations of the municipality in which such
housing accommodations are located, shall contact the owners of such
housing accommodations to notify them as follows:
A.
That the violation or violations must be remedied within 20 days
from the Department's communication to the owner; and
B.
Unless such violation or violations are remedied within that twenty-day
time frame, the Department shall work with any public assistant recipient
residing at such housing accommodation to provide alternative housing
accommodations.
In order for the Department to act in connection with the written
notification sent by the town or village, the notification must contain
the name of the owner of the housing accommodation, a description
of the violations, along with the statutes, rules or regulations being
violated.
A.
Since state law permits any public assistance recipient to refuse
alternate housing accommodation assistance from the Department, if
a recipient communicates his or her declination of the Department's
offer to assist, the Department shall forward a report of such declination
to the applicable municipality.
B.
Pursuant to New York State law, such report shall not contain the
name of the individual residing at the subject housing.
C.
Such report of declination shall contain a statement that nothing
shall prohibit any town or village from commencing and prosecuting
an action against the applicable owner for the violation or violations
existing at such owner's premises or prevent such town or village
from enforcing its laws or revoking the owner's right to rent such
premises.
This article shall not alter or affect the duties of the Department
where safety and health violations, as defined by state law, are found.
