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Levy, Tri-Hamlet Residents and Local Officials Lobby Albany
Push for Quality of Life Legislation with Key State Chairman
Hauppauge
, NY –
Suffolk Executive Steve Levy today along with a contingent of local lawmakers, school officials and residents of the Tri-Hamlet communities of Shirley, Mastic and Mastic Beach traveled to Albany where they met with legislators to lobby for the passage of several pieces of legislation that would positively impact the quality of life in these communities.
The meeting upstate was coordinated with the offices of Assemblymen Fred Thiele and Marc Alessi and State Senator Brian Foley as a follow up to a forum held in Levy’s Hauppauge office in March, and of an earlier tour of Mastic and Shirley that Levy held with school and civic leaders which identified problem properties within the communities.
“The reason I sought this meeting was to enable the state committee chairs to hear first-hand the concerns that have been raised by local residents and their local representatives,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. “I thank Senator Foley and Assemblymen Thiele and Alessi for bringing together the chairs of pertinent state committees and agencies.”
“The community residents gave their perspective on how they are negatively affected by high foreclosure rates, illegal multi-family rentals, sober homes and other quality of life issues, and advocated for stronger protections and safeguards for the investment they have made as homeowners in the community,” Levy added.
The residents met with Keith Wright, New York State Assembly chair of Social Services committee, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery, Chair of Social Services committee and Patricia Zuber-Wilson, New York State Government Affairs Director of the Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services.
Attendees at the meeting included County Legislator Kate Browning, Suffolk Social Services Commissioner Janet DeMarzo, William Floyd School Superintendent Dr. Paul Casciano, William Floyd School Board President Robert Vecchio and representatives of Mastic Beach Property Owners Association, Pattersquash Creek Civic Association, Smith Point Property Owners Association, Smith Point Peninsula Homeowners Association and Mastic Park Civic Association.
Pending legislation in Albany to be discussed includes changes to New York State Social Services law that would:
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ensure that recipients of public assistance are residing in accommodations that are in compliance with all applicable building codes and local ordinances;
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require landlords to file with the local social services department statements of compliance with all local building codes and ordinances;
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limit the amount of monthly rental payments to landlords for multiple tenants at the same address to no more than 20 percent of the fair market rental value of the home;
Levy also asked Long Island state lawmakers to introduce a bill that will allow the county social services department to withhold housing payments for a property where a notice of violation has been issued. Local officials have expressed frustration that they have been prohibited by state social services interpretation as to how far they can go with their enforcement powers. For instance, county social service officials are prohibited from withholding rent payments unless the damage to a unit is so grave that it can be classified as jeopardizing the life or health of the renter. Levy said this presents “an unreasonably high standard that is extremely difficult to meet.”
This has led to the coalition to support legislation from the Suffolk Albany delegation to change the law to allow county social services to withhold payment on far lesser code violations, and to also withhold payment where the social service check goes to the social service recipient as well directly to the landlord. Presently, the department authorized to withhold payment only in those cases where the rent check is sent directly to the landlord.
The contingent also expressed concern to a representative from OASAS to express the need for the passage of new regulations that would license sober homes and limit the number of residents in any one sober home and the number of sober homes in any one area.
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