The New York City Council holds a debate on the Fair Housing Opportunity Act, which ends criminal background checks on renters

New York - The New York City Council is considering ending criminal background checks for potential tenants.
On Thursday, the Committee on Civil and Human Rights held a discussion on the Fair Housing Opportunity Act, which would prevent landlords from considering the criminal history of a potential tenant before renting apartments.
The committee hearing room was quite full. Those who support the bill say it gives struggling New Yorkers a second chance, but opponents say it's a major safety risk.
"Today we are moving from saying that it is impossible to live with us to saying that housing is a human right and every New Yorker deserves stable housing. Today we are reversing the narrative," said council member Keith Powers.
"I really hope that the administration will come to its senses and start protecting the rights of people who have been incarcerated in the past," said Councilman Lincoln Rustler.
The legislation would prohibit landlords from running criminal background checks on prospective tenants, prohibit discrimination in housing and allow formerly incarcerated New Yorkers to enter a property if they qualify.
"We must stop demonizing people with a criminal record. People should not face endless punishment after serving their time," said Andre Ward, associate vice president at the David Rotenberg Center for Public Policy at the Fortune Society.
But the bill is controversial.
"I do not support the bill. I came to testify," said Jeffrey Davis, who lost his brother, former New York City Councilman James Davis, to gun violence in 2003.
"You let someone into your house and you don't know if they've been in and out of jail," Davis added.
Some landlord-tenant attorneys who support the bill said it should be changed.
"I think felonies should be excluded," said Altagracia Fair-Outerbridge, founder of Outerbridge Law.
While safety is a concern, so is the racial impact.
"Black and brown people will be further discriminated against because of this bill," said Fair-Outerbridge.
As it stands, the legislation would not prohibit landlords from using the New York sex offender registry or apply to two-family homes. This will not affect NYCHA complexes because background checks are required by federal law.
"The residents of the city will feel that they are less safe than they used to be," said Pierre-Outerbridge.
Attorney Juman Williams is a co-sponsor of the bill. Williams said it would be the start of reversing decades of housing inequality that black and brown New Yorkers have faced for generations.
Supporters pushed to change the law last year, but many landlords and tenants prevented it from moving forward. 30 of the 51 council members supported the new bill.