Building on Commitment To Fair Housing Month, Governor Hochul ...

In conjunction with National Fair Housing Month, Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the latest Fair Housing Matters NY initiative, a comprehensive assessment of fair housing in New York State and a new online mapping tool that illustrates how fair housing issues are impacting New Yorkers across the state. The report, which was first released for public comment last year, reviewed seven key fair housing issues and established a series of goals and action items to address housing disparities experienced by vulnerable groups and those protected under fair housing laws. The Governor also issued a proclamation commemorating April as Fair Housing Month in New York State.

"Each April, it's important we raise awareness about the crucial role fair housing laws play in promoting equality, fostering economic opportunity, and addressing historical injustices in New York and across the nation," Governor Hochul said. "Today, despite the progress that has been made since the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968, we continue to confront the reality of inequalities in our society. My administration is taking a multi-pronged approach to ensure New Yorkers can live where they choose, can build wealth through homeownership and can access economic opportunity for themselves and their families."

Drafted by New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the Fair Housing Matters NY report and the accompanying snapshot tool are based on quantitative data and were finalized after a public comment period that included input from community leaders, nonprofit organizations, housing professionals, and residents.

The report shows that while New York is becoming increasingly diverse, it reveals that living patterns, access to community resources, affordable housing, and homeownership remain divided along race and ethnic lines. Segregation is not only based on race - older adults, those with limited English proficiencies, and those with disabilities also find themselves concentrated in areas of poverty with access to fewer community resources.

The report identifies eight goals and multitude of action items that represent ways New York can create more access to housing through a combination of market-driven, regulatory, financial and administrative changes.

Several of the measures identified in the report are currently being implemented by the State. This includes initiatives such as HCR's Making Moves program, which helps households with Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers move to affordable homes in neighborhoods of their choice; and Credit is Due homeownership program, available through the State of New York Mortgage Agency, which is addressing racial disparities in homeownership by increasing access to mortgages for minority homebuyers.

Read the full report and view the maps here.

New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, "The Fair Housing Matters NY report and interactive maps are critical to understanding the extent to which segregated housing practices have shut people out of the homes they deserve. By analyzing disparities and gaining valuable input from communities and stakeholders, we can better understand the obstacles that too many New Yorkers face when buying or renting a home in the community they choose. We can then implement strategies to tear these obstacles down. I am proud of my team at HCR for their dedication to our mission, and I'm grateful to Governor Hochul for her leadership as we work to preserve the right to fair housing in New York.

Governor Hochul's Fair Housing Agenda

Governor Hochul remains committed to providing safe, fair, and accessible housing for all New Yorkers. The Governor announced a $2.2 million expansion of New York's Fair Housing Testing Program designed to root out discrimination in home rental and sale transactions. New York is partnering with six nonprofit organizations across the state to deploy undercover testers to act as potential renters and home seekers. The expansion has increased the state's ability to proactively investigate suspected housing discrimination and to enhance education and outreach efforts on fair housing rights and requirements to landlords, tenants, real estate professionals, and local governments.

In December 2022, the Governor announced a Department of Financial Services report that found continued racial disparities in mortgage lending practices on Long Island, in Rochester and in Syracuse. The report was part of an ongoing statewide inquiry into redlining and followed another DFS study that identified redlining and other forms of housing discrimination by mortgage lenders, particularly non-depository lenders, in majority-minority neighborhoods in Buffalo.

The Governor has also signed landmark legislation to increase protections for New Yorkers against housing discrimination.

Last year, the Governor signed legislation to extend the statute of limitations for New Yorkers to file a complaint with DHR, allowing unlawful housing discrimination claims for incidents occurring on or after February 15, 2024, to be filed within three years of the alleged discrimination. The Governor also signed a package of nine fair housing bills designed to combat discriminatory housing practices that persist around the state, including legislation to increase penalties for unlawful housing discrimination; create a fund to support fair housing testing; and expand required trainings for real estate professionals on subjects such as legacy of segregation, unequal treatment, and historic lack of access to housing opportunities.

New Yorkers who experience unlawful discrimination in housing can file a complaint with DHR online or by calling 1-888-392-3644.

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