About
Victory!
On December 20, 2023, the New York City Council passed the Fair Chance for Housing Act (Intro 632-A) to protect people with conviction records from housing discrimination. The Act will go into effect January 1, 2025.
The Fair Chance for Housing Act is the culmination of conversations and feedback received from advocates, housing providers, and industry stakeholders. The Act establishes a lookback window that allows for background checks going back 3 years for misdemeanors and 5 years for felonies. The lookback window does not apply to sex crimes; landlords can still consult state and federal registries. The Act also excludes 1- and 2-family, owner occupied homes. As always, landlords are free to review financial and credit information, check references, and conduct interviews with prospective tenants.
This is a bold step that gives people who have faced unending housing discrimination a new hope at finding housing.
Download our info sheet about the new Fair Chance for Housing Law: English
WATCH: Power in numbers - The National Movement to End Conviction Record Discrimination in Housing
Advocates from New Orleans to Seattle to Oakland gathered to discuss the local and state laws they’ve passed to end conviction record discrimination in housing. Watch: