New York Fair Housing Network Responds to State of the State Address

STATEWIDE COALITION APPLAUDS GOVERNOR’S COMMITMENT TO FAIR HOUSING

Below is a joint statement issued by the New York Fair Housing Network in response to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2023 State of the State address:

“The New York State Fair Housing Network applauds Governor Kathy Hochul for her commitment to remedy New York’s housing crisis. The policies proposed in the 2023 State of the State address will put New York on a path to ending the housing shortage that currently hinders the State’s ability to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

The New York State Fair Housing Network is comprised of six full-service fair housing organizations. Collectively, the Network services 94% of New York’s population. Our work gives us firsthand experience with the ways that policy can either impede or further the goal of fair housing for all.

We support the Governor’s approach of working with each local government in the State to ensure that every community is open and accessible to all. Unfortunately, a handful of localities have used zoning, planning, and environmental laws for exclusionary ends by blocking the construction of almost all new housing. In communities across New York, the result has been segregation and a lack of housing opportunities.

The long-term solutions proposed must be combined with immediate action to relieve the pressures caused by New York’s housing crisis. Families across the state need additional safeguards, including expanded fair housing protections, testing, and enforcement.

We agree with Governor Hochul that ‘housing is a human right!’ Her proposals will secure that right for more people. The New York State Fair Housing Network looks forward to working with the Governor, state agencies, and state legislators to advance these policies to expand housing opportunities and further fair housing for all New Yorkers.”

The member organizations of the New York Fair Housing Network are the Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC), Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LAWNY), Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO), Long Island Housing Services, Housing Opportunities Made Equal (HOME), and CNY Fair Housing.