Procedure for determining that a dwelling unit is habitable for the purposes of the CityFHEPS program.

The bill would require the Commissioner of Social Services to deem a dwelling unit habitable before approving CityFHEPS rental assistance for that unit. The Commissioner would be required to identify each condition that must be satisfactory for the unit to be deemed habitable, designate each condition as “major” or “minor,” develop a checklist with these conditions, and establish an online portal for unit owners. An inspector would be required to conduct an in-person habitability assessment of each unit and its common areas, examine each condition on the checklist, and either deem the unit habitable or require the owner to correct any unsatisfactory condition. If no more than 4 minor conditions and no major conditions are found to be unsatisfactory during an in-person habitability assessment, the owner would be able to establish that the minor conditions have been corrected by submitting documentation through the online portal. The Commissioner could establish a procedure to deem newly constructed units habitable without an in-person inspection.