New York City legislators are trying to make source of income discrimination less prevalent.
Councilmember Shekar Krishnan — a one-time housing lawyer — sponsored a package of six bills targeting landlords who discriminate against prospective tenants who use rental subsidies, City Limits reported. Discrimination against voucher holders has been illegal since 2008 but is still one of the most common types of housing discrimination, according to the city’s Commission on Human Rights.
The half-dozen bills the City Council is weighing would stiffen penalties against both landlords and brokers for voucher discrimination.
“We know the stories too well of tenants who are turned away from apartments because they are on a voucher, because they have Section 8, because they have a public benefit,” said Councilmember Krishnan.
One proposal would add source of income discrimination to a list covered by the Certificate of No Harassment program, potentially allowing the city to deny building or construction permits. Another proposal would increase the maximum civil penalty for those who defy Commission on Human Rights orders.
The other proposals:
- Base landlord fines on the number of buildings they own, increasing penalties for large corporate landlords, a common denominator in source of income complaints
- Prohibit credit history requirements for voucher holders
- Require applicant notification if denial is based on a tenant screening report
- Public disclosure of landlords found guilty of source of income discrimination
Rental vouchers are one option to help propel households from the city’s shelter system to permanent housing. As of the end of last year, nearly 52,000 households were taking advantage of CityFHEPS vouchers alone, according to city officials.
Open discrimination against holders of Section 8 vouchers is on the decline, Housing Rights Initiative founder Aaron Carr told The Real Deal last year, but prospective renters still have horror stories about being ghosted or deterred from using their subsidies.
— Holden Walter-Warner
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