Establishes the affordable housing broadband assistance grant program within the division of broadband access to support no-cost and/or discounted subscriptions for households receiving federal, state, or local housing assistance or residing in housing units designated for low-income and/or vulnerable populations.
Summary
S00679 would create an “affordable housing broadband assistance grant program” within the New York State Division of Broadband Access. The program is intended to help provide no-cost or discounted broadband subscriptions to households that receive federal, state, or local housing assistance, as well as residents of housing units designated for low-income or vulnerable populations.
The bill authorizes eligible grant recipients to include local governments, municipal housing authorities, and for-profit or nonprofit owners or operators of low-income housing. The division would set criteria for recipients to contract with broadband providers, and grants could cover up to $30 per month per housing unit for up to four years. The bill also directs recipients, to the greatest extent possible, to use fixed wireline service with baseline speeds of at least 100 Mbps, while allowing residents to purchase higher-tier service at their own expense.
Impact
The bill would amend the New York State Urban Development Corporation Act to add a new broadband grant program targeted at affordable housing and low-income residential settings. It would create a state-administered funding mechanism for subsidizing internet service in qualifying housing, and it would establish standards for eligible recipients, provider selection, service quality, and subsidy limits. The measure would primarily affect housing authorities, local governments, affordable housing operators, broadband providers, and low-income tenants or residents in assisted housing.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so no direct legislative debate or formal sentiment can be assessed from the record here. Based on the bill text alone, the proposal appears policy-oriented and supportive of expanding internet affordability and access for low-income and vulnerable households. The absence of opposition or amendments in the provided context means the overall sentiment cannot be characterized beyond the bill’s apparent consumer- and housing-assistance focus.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided transcripts or voting history. Potential areas of debate, based on the bill’s structure, could include the cost of the subsidy, the $30-per-month cap, the four-year duration, the preference for fixed wireline service, and the administrative criteria for selecting broadband providers. The bill also leaves discretion to the division to set implementation standards, which could raise questions about program design and provider eligibility, but those issues are not reflected in the supplied legislative record.
Same As
Establishes the affordable housing broadband assistance grant program within the division of broadband access to support no-cost and/or discounted subscriptions for households receiving federal, state, or local housing assistance or residing in housing units designated for low-income and/or vulnerable populations.