Joshs experience includes successfully overturning invalid zoning ordinances and reversing arbitrary and capricious Planning Board denials when municipal boards attempt to block affordable housing developments. As Royal Examiner reported in late February, along with current council-appointed Town Planning Commission member Josh Ingram, political newcomer Jackson announced his November ru The story started on Nov. 21, 2016, when the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) filed a federal lawsuit alleging that the Town of Eastchester, which is predominantly white, used residency preferences to suppress participation by people of color in the town's Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program and senior housing developments. From 2007 to 2011, he pursued resident supportive federal housing policy as Director of Government Relations in the Washington, D.C. office of the National Housing Law Project. Tanushree Bansal is a Legal Fellow at Fair Share Housing Center. New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, Housing is an essential human right and we must continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that all New Yorkers have a fair and equal opportunity to live in the communities of their choice. It was a long fight, said Fred Frieberg, executive director of the Fair Housing Justice Center. Staff Attorneyashleylee@fairsharehousing.org, As an NJ native, I am all too familiar with our lack of affordable housing and the racial inequality and inequity that ties into it. and J.D. The outreach funding will provide an enhanced opportunity for us to increase awareness of fair housing rights and responsibilities, especially the strong protections that New York State has put in place to counter source-of-income discrimination, and to provide training to tenants, home seekers, and housing providers. Not a single tester with a voucher was able to schedule an apartment viewing or receive any further information from Finders NYC after disclosing their voucher. Shaye holds a masters degree in social work from the University of Akron and a bachelors degree in social work from Cleveland State University. v. Adeline Aryeh, et al., was filed in 2021 in the Eastern District of New York (case no. In contrast, Eastchester is not very diverse so a residency preference there would effectively reduce access by African American and Latinx potential applicants.". If the preferences were more narrowly tailored from the outset, he said. The defendants actions fundamentally prevent those New Yorkers with the most dire need for housing from obtaining safe and secure homes for themselves and their families. Thanks to the support of HCR, people throughout our service area will know that they can come to us for help, and that our programs will get them the help they need.. Prior to joining FSHC, she worked for 15 years as a Property Manager in Low Income Housing Tax Credit Properties. He said the broad range of preferences in the zoning code went far beyond anything that was necessary to address the needs of Eastchester residents, with its broad range of preferences. Defendants discriminatory conduct violated multiple state, federal, and local statutes, and we were glad to be able help the clients attain a measure of justice and vindicate their rights, stated attorney Zack Zaharoff,who along with attorneys Blake Denton, Angela Dunay, Faust Petkovich, and Scott Kanchuger represented the plaintiffs. 2008 2022 FAIR HOUSING JUSTICE CENTER | 30-30 Northern Blvd., Ste. The mission of the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC), a nonprofit civil rights organization, is to eliminate housing discrimination; promote policies and programs that foster open, accessible, and inclusive communities; and strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws in the New York City region. As housing justice intern, she is responsible for assisting the Education and Outreach Department with fair housing education and outreach activities. President Anne Nacinovich, Vice President Rev. NEW YORK, Feb. 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Driven by a lawsuit brought by Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) and two individual plaintiffs against the New York Department of Health (DOH) in 2018, . Fred, who co-founded the FHJC in 2004, is recognized as one of the nations leading experts on the use of testing as an investigative tool for enforcing civil rights laws. We maintain that these residency preferences are unlawful because they discriminate, based on race, in a community like Eastchester that is predominantly white.. New Jersey Housing Justice Corps Fellowesmedevenney@fairsharehousing.org, It is important to me to live in an equitable and democratic society, and that cannot be reached without economic freedom for everyone.. When not working, hes an avid cyclist and reader of American history. Initiative, assisting tenants using rental subsidies to exercise their fair housing rights. Mr. Tripp and Ms. Rosario continued searching for housing, avoiding predominately white neighborhoods for fear of encountering discrimination again, and eventually bought a home in East Flatbush, Brooklyn. He joined the organization in 2015 as the Inaugural Maida Public Interest Fellow. Her time as a community organizer in central New Jersey informs her passion for affordable housing and tenants rights advocacy. Today, the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) announced a new state court lawsuit against three licensed real estate agents working with the online real estate company Finders NYC and the real estate company itself. He has litigated at the New Jersey Supreme Court and Appellate Division and worked on state and federal policy issues including very-low-income housing in high opportunity communities, Low Income Housing Tax Credit allocation, and statewide fair share allocation. PHILADELPHIA Mayor Jim Kenney today announced that Rue Landau, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR) and Fair Housing Commission (FHC), will leave City government effective Friday, December 18, 2020. News. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1992, and as attorney general of Arkansas from 1977 to 1979. Fair Housing Rights and Remedies. settled a federal fair housing case over the town's opposition to affordable housing, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. According to his testimony, the underlying law has three requirements: that . New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, Housing is an essential human right and we must continue to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that all New Yorkers have a fair and equal opportunity to live in the communities of their choice. Dec 1999 - Aug 202121 years 9 months. home seekers have the right to decide for themselves what makes a neighborhood comfortable or desirable," added FHJC Executive Director Elizabeth Grossman. Eric holds a masters degree in Urban Policy from Hunter College, and a bachelors degree in history from SUNY Plattsburgh. These nonprofit housing agencies will dispatch trained fair housing "testers" to act as potential renters or home seekers to uncover unlawful discriminatory treatment by sellers, brokers, and landlords. Esm Devenney is a New Jersey Housing Justice Corps Fellow at Fair Share Housing Center. Fair Share Housing Center is a nonprofit advocacy organization that uses legal, policy, and community-building strategies to fight for housing justice in New Jersey and beyond. During her law school career, she gained experience interning at several nonprofit organizations including the Center for Art Law in Brooklyn, the Anti-Trafficking and Labor Exploitation Unit in London and the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics in Singapore. In the nonprofit field, hehasworked in development as a campaign associate for both Amnesty International and Human Rights First. This is a free webinar but for internet security purposes, registration is required. In March, Fair Housing Justice Center executive director Fred Freiberg testified in Washington D.C against the termination of the 2015 AFFH rule, saying the rule had existed since the Fair Housing Act of 1968 existed and that Obama's rule merely gave it needed teeth. Elizabeth Grossman, Executive Director/General Counsel (she/her) They alleged that Redfin's minimum home price policy violated the federal Fair Housing Act by discriminating against sellers and buyers of homes in communities . NYSDHR's series of fair housing outreach events - Unlocking Doors, Breaking Down Barriers - continues next Tuesday, Jan 31 in Rego . at Yale. More information on Fair Housing can be found on HCRs website: Marlene Zarfes, Executive Director of Westchester Residential Opportunities, said, This work is critical to ensuring a housing market in the Lower Hudson Valley in which every household has an equal opportunity to participate, regardless of skin color, ethnicity, source of income, disability or any other protected class.". Flatbush Development Corporation: Housing Director. Dear Governor Hochul, As a diverse coalition of housing nonprofits, tenant activists, policy organizations, fair housing and immigrant justice organizations, and more, we write to applaud your inclusion of Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) legalization in your FY 2023 budget proposal. 9am - 12pm. We felt strongly that the preferences allowed aging in place for our seniors, and that would be the best for our seniors, he said. Ms. Rosario was also asked if she had children and wanted them to play with neighbors, which the agent admitted was one of the reasons for referring the couple away from Midwood, according to the lawsuit. Donna has had over 25 years of experience working with human resources management and general bookkeeping. Testing remains a critical tool for fair housing organizations to use in the fight against discrimination, and . David joined the Hurricane Sandy Recovery struggle by helping FSHC seize opportunities for fair housing and lower-income resident advocacy in the design and implementation of federally funded recovery programs. We applaud the many individuals and Unlock NYC who shared information about the discriminatory practices we are challenging here, said FHJC Executive Director Elizabeth Grossman. from Yale University. As an actress specializing in devised, immersive theater, Lucille has enjoyed an eclectic career Off-Broadway and regionally. The settlement, which was approved on May 28, comes shortly after the town of Greenburgh settled a federal fair housing case over the town's opposition to affordable housing on Dromore Road in Edgemont for $9.5 million.