NEW YORK — Supporters of the Fair Chance for Housing Act, which would outlaw housing discrimination against people with criminal records, rallied outside New York City Hall on Thursday.
Elected officials and advocates voiced their support for the bill, which is being introduced by Majority Leader Keith Powers.
According to Powers, landlords may legally discriminate against people who apply for housing if they have a criminal record.
“There’s a continuation to deny housing to people with a record no matter what, or how long ago, or how minor, or what that offense was. And the result is tens of thousands of New Yorkers are locked into an endless, revolving door of homelessness, incarceration and housing instability,” Powers said.
An estimated 750,000 New York City residents have a criminal record, according to advocates for the bill.
