The Fair Chance for Housing Act, passed by the City Council Wednesday, will limit the extent to which landlords, real estate brokers and other entities can factor in past convictions when considering a housing applicant—though the final bill is less expansive in banning the use of background checks than a version debated last year.
The “Just Home” proposal to house seriously ill people leaving jail cleared one of its final procedural hurdles at a heated public hearing, where locals repeatedly testified that they feared for their safety.
Political calculus around a City Council race in the East Bronx has slowed the approval process for a plan to house seriously ill people leaving jail, and could cue up a test: whether the Council is willing to override opposition from one of their own.
“It’s an issue that seems to be within DOC’s control, something they can anticipate, and yet they’re really not able to make sure that the conditions are humane for the people that are forced to be there,” one civil rights attorney said.
“Despite the mayor’s repeated statements that he wants to fund more ‘upstream’ services that address the city’s mental health crisis, his agenda, instead, focuses on post-crisis points and increased law enforcement. To effectively address the City’s mental health crisis, the mayor must invest in more preventive and evidenced-based supports.”
Through updated policies, HUD will require landlords—including public housing authorities like NYCHA, and property owners who accept HUD-affiliated housing vouchers—to take a more holistic approach when vetting potential renters.
“The high rates of health issues mentioned in carceral settings are a health equity issue likely resulting, at least in part, from the low accessibility of fresh produce and poor access to quality and trusted medical care in NYS correctional facilities.”
“Scientific research very clearly demonstrates that solitary confinement is torture. It also shows that it is counterproductive in achieving its goals because it often increases an inmate’s violent behavior.”
“Concerns about the creation of ‘mega jails’ have hounded the plans to close the jails on Rikers Island since before the historic vote in 2019. It has served as a useful boogeyman for opponents of the Rikers closure plan, especially in Manhattan. It’s also a fabrication.”
“Treatment Not Jail offers the possibility of mental health treatment courts for all justice-involved New Yorkers and improves upon the prevailing model of drug courts.”
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