New York Close To Banning Criminal Background Checks From Housing Applications

The city of New York is fighting to find solutions to the ongoing homelessness crisis. Almost 50,000 people are said to be occupying New York shelters right now. Besides inflation and abnormally high rental prices, another barrier to housing is criminal records factoring into applications. As the New York Times reports, a piece of legislation seeks to end that practice that has abnormally affected people of color. The Fair Chance For Housing Act would ban landlords and brokers from seeking a person’s criminal records and stop them from denying housing because of prior arrests or convictions. Vin Signorile of the Rent Stabilization Assoc and its 25000 members oppose this due to "safety concerns".

Under the bill, someone who believes they have been discriminated against because of their criminal history could file a lawsuit against a landlord or a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. The act does come with a couple of exceptions . . .