Amsterdam News – City Councilmember Shahana Hanif says opposition of the bill is heavily rooted in landlord anti-Blackness rather than good faith safety concerns given that the Fair Chance for Housing Act, as it stands, would still allow property owners to check the sex offender registry with appropriate notice and would provide an opportunity for the applicant to dispute.

“I don’t understand the concerns, to be honest, because there are several exceptions to who has access to housing through this piece of legislation that would give them some ease,” she said. “This is about people’s safety and stability and people who are coming into neighborhoods to return to a life where they have stable housing, employment, school, and to be able to integrate into family life again. Landlords should be supportive of this [and] advocating with these people who will be paying rent and be good neighbors. And that’s the commitment.”

“That’s who I’ve heard opposition from. My team and I, and the majority of the Council—we have over 30 sponsors on this piece of legislation—are ready to debunk any of these myths that some of these landlords are spewing. I think a lot of what we’ve seen are dangerous myths and tropes. And then specifically, just anti-Black. It’s really important [to know] that this is the way the landlord community thinks of Black people. That’s not okay.” [Read More]