Joint Press Release for Long Island Housing Services, Inc., Renaissance Hills and Renaissance Bay

Long Island Housing Services, Inc., Renaissance Hills and Renaissance Bay have entered into an agreement that reflects the parties’ joint commitment to curtail source of income discrimination and to ensure that equal housing opportunities are provided to all prospective tenants. Located in Suffolk County, New York, Renaissance Hills and Renaissance Bay have reaffirmed their commitment to preventing discriminatory housing practices, especially as they relate to applicants who are recipients of alternative lawful sources of income, including housing vouchers and other forms of housing assistance payment. With support and guidance of Long Island Housing Services, Renaissance Bay and Renaissance Hills have taken the following affirmative actions:

1. Conducted a comprehensive training for all of their leasing agents concerning housing discrimination prevention;
2. Reviewed and reaffirmed that their policies and practices specifically prohibit lawful source of income discrimination;
3. Display discrimination prevention posters at each facility; and
4. Implemented changes to their website and application materials so that prospective tenants are aware of their commitment to limiting discriminatory housing practices.

“Despite source of income discrimination being outlawed in Suffolk County for over a decade, Long Island Housing Services has found that there still is a great deal of work to be done educating housing providers in their duty to accept all lawful forms of income as payment for rent,” said Ian Wilder, Executive Director of Long Island Housing Services.

Renaissance Hills and Renaissance Bay are similarly commit

ted to eradicating all forms of housing discrimination, including familial status and lawful source of income discrimination.
Founded in 1969, Long Island Housing Services, Inc. is a private, nonprofit HUD-qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organization and a federally certified Housing Counseling agency. Long Island Housing Services’ mission is the elimination of unlawful discrimination and promotion of decent and affordable housing through advocacy and education.

The Fair Housing enforcement and advocacy work of LIHS is supported through grants from Enterprise Community Partners.