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- Home
- Fair Housing

Fair housing

Accessible housing for everyone

Whether you reside in a city, suburb, or rural neighborhood, discovering safe, affordable housing can be an obstacle.

Fortunately, our laws protect your right to pick where to live without discrimination based on race, religion, sex, or a variety of other characteristics.

Federal and our state laws in New York exist to ensure that equivalent housing opportunities are offered to all. Some city governments use much more protections. This assistance describes some of those laws and includes info about what to do if you believe a landlord, seller, or loan provider has discriminated against you.

Housing is among life's basics; it is very important that everybody has access to it, totally free from discrimination. If you have any concerns or issues,
please contact my workplace.

Fair housing laws: how we are secured

The federal Fair Housing Act, the New York City State Human Rights Law, and numerous regional laws prohibit discrimination by housing companies (including owners, realty representatives, handling representatives, constructing superintendents, and cooperative and condominium boards), and loan providers (banks and mortgage business).

- The Federal Fair Housing Act makes it illegal to discriminate on the basis of an individual's race, familial status (presence of kids under age 18), color, nationwide origin, religious beliefs, special needs (physical or mental), or sex.
- The New York State Human Rights Law covers all the same characteristics, and likewise protects versus discrimination based on creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, military status, or legal source of earnings (public or housing help, Social Security, additional security earnings, pension, child support, alimony, foster care subsidies, annuities, or unemployment benefits). Many city governments have additional protections. The New York City Human Rights Law likewise covers: gender, citizenship status, partnership status, and legal profession.

Most housing is included

In the state of New York, anti-discrimination laws cover most types of housing, with four main exceptions:

- one- or two-family owner-occupied structures
- space rentals in housing for people of the same sex, such as college dormitories or boarding homes where all residents are of the same sex
- housing intended for people over the age of 55, or over the age of 62
- room leasings in owner-occupied housing

Prohibited actions

These laws apply to the sale or rental of housing and also to mortgage loaning and offer securities against various kinds of housing discrimination consisting of the following:

- rejection to clear up adjustments to a house or common use location to accommodate an individual's disability
- refusal to make affordable lodgings in policies or services if necessary for handicapped persons to utilize the housing

In addition, any multifamily housing built after 1991 need to comply with ease of access requirements.

Repairing the damage

If it is discovered that discrimination has occurred, actions may be taken to correct the circumstance. These can include:

- requiring changes in policies and practices
- making the housing or loan readily available
- assessing money damages or attorney fees or Imposing civil fines and penalties

If you have concerns or think you have been a victim of housing discrimination, the following companies might be able to assist. You can discover contact info for each at the bottom of this web page.

- The Civil Liberty Bureau of the Office of the New York State Chief law officer investigates and prosecutes inequitable policies and patterns or practices of discrimination. The bureau is dedicated to combating housing discrimination throughout the state.
- The New York State Division of Human Rights deals with individual problems of discrimination. You have one year after an alleged offense to submit a complaint.
- The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) deals with individual problems of discrimination based upon the federal Fair Housing Act. You have one year after an alleged offense to submit a grievance.
- The New York City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR) handles private grievances of discrimination based on the New York City Human Rights Law.

You have one year after an alleged violation to submit a complaint. You are prevented from suing with CCHR if you have actually currently filed the very same claim based on the exact same realities with another company or in court.

Office of the New York State Attorney General Of The United States Civil Rights Bureau
28 Liberty Street
New York NY 10005
212-416-8250
1-800-788-9898 (TDD).
Civil Rights Bureau

New York City State Division of Human Rights.
One Fordham Plaza, 4th Floor.
Bronx NY 10458.
1-888-392-3644.
718-741-8300 (TDD/TTY).
dhr.ny.gov

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Housing Enforcement Center.
26 Federal Plaza, Room 3541.
New York NY 10278-0068.
212-264-8000.
212-264-0927 (TTY).
Hud.gov

New York City Human Rights Commission.
22 Reade Street, First Floor.
New York City NY 10007.
212-306-7450.
nyc.gov/ humanrights

Letitia James

New York City State Chief Law Officer

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