Fair Chance for Housing! New York State's laws prevent discrimination against people with criminal records in employment, but there are few or no protections for housing. Fellow producer & host (On the Count) Andre Ward, an activist with Fair Chance for Housing, joined Vajra Kilgour for a discussion of Intro #2047-2020, which would sharply limit the use of background checks to discriminate against people with criminal records, as well as of the history of racist discrimination that pervades both the criminal legal system & housing.
Meanwhile, with the national eviction moratorium about to expire, New York State's rental assistance program is plagued with delays & glitches. (For help in applying for rental assistance, click here.)
Housing Notebook is a production of Met Council on Housing, New York's oldest citywide tenant union.
Met Council hotline: 212-979-0611, M & W 1:30-8 PM, Tu 5:30-8 PM, F 1:30-5 PM (no walk-in clinics during pandemic); www.metcouncilonhousing.org, thetenant.org; info@metcouncilonhousing.org; Facebook & Instagram: search for Met Council on Housing; email: housingnotebook@wbai.org – no housing problems please! Twitter: @met_council, @scottmsommer, @vajra_k; wbai.org – live stream, find archive, join radio station there or call 212-209-2950 – become a WBAI buddy in the name of Housing Notebook! @wbai
For help applying for rental assistance in New York State, click here.
Rent guidelines: For leases beginning between 10/1/20 & 9/30/21: 0% for a 1-year lease, 0% for 1st year of 2-year lease, 1% for 2nd year of 2-year lease in apartments & lofts; no increase for SROs, rooming houses, & hotels; Westchester, Nassau, Rockland rent freeze!
New rent guidelines for leases beginning between 10/1/21 & 9/30/22: for apartments & lofts: for a 1-year lease, 0% in the first 6 months & 1.5% in the following 6 months; for a 2-year lease, 2.5%. No increase for SROs, rooming houses, & hotels. Rockland County: 0.5% for a 1-year lease, 0.75% for a 2-year lease. Westchester County: 0.5% for a 1-year lease, 1% for a 2-year lease.
You must have hot water at a minimum 120 degrees at the tap 24 hours a day, year round. Call 311 to report lack hot water; outside NYC call dept. of health or buildings. Call hotline (212-979-0611) for help with organizing.