As the year draws to a close, we at the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) want to share the strides we’ve made, with your support, in 2024. Here’s a look back at some of our accomplishments:
Settlements in Major Housing Discrimination Cases:
We held landlords, real estate companies, developers and other housing providers accountable for discriminatory practices in six dramatic settlements. Highlights include a groundbreaking voucher discrimination settlement against real estate giant Parkchester which includes set-asides for applicants with housing vouchers, and a final settlement with developers who had to be investigated and sued three separate times before finally and fully complying with accessible design and construction law. We secured damages and penalties totaling more than five million dollars. Even more importantly, more than 13,000 New York-area apartments are no longer off-limits to people whom the law protects from discrimination.
New Lawsuits:
The FHJC filed five new lawsuits in 2024. One is against the owner of multiple assisted living facilities whose blanket admissions policy turned away wheelchair users. Another alleges race discrimination by Brooklyn real estate agents who ignored Black testers and made explicitly racist comments to white testers while offering them better service.
Policy:
We achieved significant policy victories on several key issues we have long advocated for. The New York City Council passed the FARE Act, which prohibits brokers from charging would-be tenants broker fees, a practice which disproportionally affected lower income renters using housing vouchers. The Clean Slate Act, signed by Gov. Hochul in November, seals certain criminal records, prohibiting housing discrimination against individuals who have served their time and opening the way for New Yorkers impacted by the criminal system to access the safe, stable housing we all deserve.
Education and Outreach:
With increased staffing and resources this year, we continued expanding our work to raise awareness of fair housing rights. We conducted over 35 trainings, workshops, and presentations. We launched our innovative Fair Housing for Young Adults campaign, and added TikTok and Bluesky to our social media platforms to reach new audiences.
These are just a few highlights from a very busy year. With your help, we can make 2025 even more remarkable. We hope you’ll consider making a year-end tax-deductible contribution to help the FHJC pursue a more just, welcoming New York for all of its residents.
And speaking of 2025…
We are thrilled to announce that next April we will be celebrating our 20th Anniversary, honoring our founders and marking two decades in the fight against housing discrimination! We’ll be joined by WNYC’s Kai Wright, whose insights on the intersection of housing, race, and justice will add to the richness of our celebration.
If you would like to join us for this special event, your year-end donation can also serve as your ticket purchase. Click the Donate button above and check the appropriate box on the donation form. (Tickets are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. A portion of each ticket price will be non-deductible.)
We hope you’ll choose to support us in our mission to end housing discrimination and create open, accessible, inclusive communities for EVERYONE.