| Entities | New York City (9) |
| Topics and Issues |
In August 2021, Councilmember Keith Powers (D-Manhattan/Upper East Side) introduced Intro 632-2022 (bill page), to dramatically limit the ability of landlords to conduct criminal background checks on prospective tenants. Powers is the majority leader and chair of the Rules Committee. The bill is sponsored by 28 of the 50 members of the Council, as well as Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and the borough presidents of Manhattan, Mark Levine; Brooklyn, Antonio Reynoso; the Bronx, Vanessa Gibson; and Queens, Donovan Richards).
The measure was heard in Civil and Human Rights on December 9, 2022, a committee where four of the six committee members are on the bill.
Resources (2022):
- Hearing before the Civil and Human Rights Committee (December 8, 2022).
- Video (December 8, 2022).
- Committee Report (December 8, 2022).
- Hearing Testimony (December 8, 2022).
- Convicted sex offender spews anti-Asian slurs during NYC Council meeting — and pols do nothing to stop him, N.Y. Post (December 9, 2022).
- Legislation to ban criminal background checks on tenants unlikely to pass, sources say, Spectrum News 1 (December 14, 2021).
- Mayor Eric Adams, elected in 2021, made limiting criminal checks for housing part of his campaign last year. Tucked inside a June 2022 document from the mayor on housing priorities is “a brief excerpt detailing initial plans to address the prison-to-shelter pipeline. It acknowledged frequent reports of housing providers denying applicants due to their criminal records and promised the mayor’s office would work with city council to create legislation to make it easier for those New Yorkers to find housing from landlords and private renting agencies.” Mayor Adams’ new plan hints support for Fair Chance for Housing (Amsterdam News citing the Mayor’s Housing Our Neighbors: A Blueprint for Housing and Homelessness, at 54).
Resources (2020 – 2021)
- Legislation to ban criminal background checks on tenants unlikely to pass, sources say, Spectrum News 1 (December 14, 2021).
- Intro. 2047-2020 was sponsored and cosponsored by 26 members of the 50-member council, including the now speaker, Adrienne Adams, and the now majority leader, Keith Powers.