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New York State Governor Kathy Hawkle signed a bill last Thursday, July 25th, to help New Yorkers with disabilities.
This new law will cover the cost of major repairs to retrofit homes for people with disabilities who participate in the Access to Home and Access to Home for Heroes programs. People with disabilities in low- and moderate-income households will no longer have to worry about large expenses just to get up the stairs to their home.
“People with disabilities face discrimination and additional barriers every day, and it’s important that we do what we can to fix it,” said Governor Hawkle. “On the eve of the Americans with Disabilities Act anniversary, I’m signing this bill because people with disabilities deserve the same rights and privileges that all New Yorkers enjoy.”
The legislation allows housing modifications to be paid for with funds from the Housing Access and Housing Access for Heroes programs as long as they relate to accessibility improvements and don’t exceed 60 percent of the cost, and it also expands property taxes for people with disabilities, reducing barriers to affordable housing for people with disabilities, closing loopholes in the law that excluded many people from critical benefits.