New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced the allocation of $970,000 in grants to support fair housing programs in New York's Capital Region. The funding will be distributed to United Tenants of Albany, Inc. (UTA) and the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) to establish and sustain a fair housing testing and enforcement program for at least two years.
The Capital Region, currently without a Qualified Fair Housing Organization (QFHO), is identified as an area vulnerable to social and economic disparities due to housing discrimination. The grants aim to provide essential services that promote equitable access to housing for residents.
Attorney General James emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stating, "Access to housing is a basic human right, but too often, discriminatory practices and high prices prohibit countless New Yorkers from securing stable housing." She added that investing in such programs would help create more opportunities for fair housing and hold landlords accountable.
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) will distribute $520,000 to UTA for creating a new enforcement program and $450,000 to FHJC for training and technical assistance. FHJC will collaborate with CNY Fair Housing from Syracuse in providing these services.
Fair housing testing programs are designed to identify discriminatory practices in real estate transactions. The Anti-Discrimination in Housing Fund supports these efforts through fees collected from brokers and agents involved in illegal practices.
In recent years, Attorney General James has actively addressed discriminatory practices across New York State. Notable actions include interventions against Long Island brokerages accused of racial discrimination. These efforts have resulted in settlements requiring compliance with fair housing laws.
Canyon Ryan, Executive Director of UTA, expressed optimism about moving beyond advocacy towards enforcement with this support. Michele Cortese from FHJC highlighted the need for such programs in addressing ongoing issues of illegal discrimination and segregation. Sally Santangelo from CNY Fair Housing noted the region's long-standing lack of fair housing resources.
The OAG plans on evaluating program continuation after two years based on its effectiveness.
This initiative continues Attorney General James' broader efforts against discriminatory practices statewide. Past actions include returning apartments to rent stabilization and preventing illegal denial of housing opportunities by property management companies.