As federal housing enforcement falters and city agencies stretch thin, New York officials say they’re fighting an uphill battle against housing discrimination.
At a City Council Committee on Civil and Human Rights (CCHR) hearing on Oct. 3, lawmakers and advocates warned that enforcement capacity has not kept up with need, leaving tenants vulnerable to widespread bias and unsafe living conditions.
The hearing came just days after the Council passed Introduction 621-A, a new law expanding the definition of tenant harassment to include unlawful evictions. It also follows the Department of Housing Preservation and Development’s recent call for public input on Where We Live NYC 2025, the city’s next fair-housing plan, which will guide equitable housing efforts over the next five years…