By Gregg McQueen
Angela Fernandez, Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights.
It’s honing in on housing.
The New York State Division of Human Rights will host a town hall on changes in the state’s human rights laws, specifically focused on housing concerns.
The meeting will be held on Wed., Sept. 25 at the Alianza Dominicana Cultural Center building at 530 West 166th Street starting at 6 p.m.
Angela Fernández, Commissioner of the Division of Human Rights, said the goal of the town hall is to bring the agency “directly to the people.”
“It will be a very interactive presentation on what the state’s human rights law is when it comes to anti-discrimination protection within the housing context,” she said.
The gathering will serve as a return uptown for Fernández, who had previously served as the Executive Director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights (NMCIR).
“I want residents who face discriminatory and predatory policies where it hurts most – at home – to know there is help,” said Fernández. “It’s why we’re here at the Division, and why we’re bringing these forums to the neighborhoods where they’ll have the greatest impact.”
This spring, Governor Andrew Cuomo approved several new provisions for the state’s human rights law, the oldest in the country, including a provision banning rental discrimination based on source of income.
“If you have a lawful source of income like Section 8 or child support or social security benefits, a landlord cannot deny you an apartment,” said Fernández. “What we see is that landlords are denying rentals to people [with such income sources], and as of this summer, this is a violation of state human rights law.”
Read more: State hosts housing forum | Manhattan Times
Read more: State hosts housing forum | Manhattan Times
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