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05-08-09
Westchester County Board of Legislators
County Board to Review Source of Income Modification
Amendment to Fair Housing Law Would Prohibit Owners from Discriminating Against Renters On The Basis Of Their Source of Income
    The County Board is scheduled to hold a public hearing Monday night on the proposed “Source of Income” Law, which would modify the County’s Fair Housing Law to prohibit housing discrimination based on an individual’s income sources.  The measure, first introduced by Legislators Ken Jenkins (D, IN, WF-Yonkers) and Lois Bronz (D, WF-Greenburgh) last spring, is also scheduled for a potential vote at the May 11th meeting.
     “This modification is about removing a subtle form of discrimination,” said Legislator Bronz, an original sponsor of the County’s Human Rights Law. 
     “Amending our current law in this way will provide for immediate protection to existing tenants, which is essential in these economic times,” said Legislator Ken Jenkins, Government Operations Chairman.
     The item had been a frequent topic of discussion in both Jenkins’ committee and the Committee on Legislation over the past year. Legislators heard testimony from tenant advocates and real estate industry representatives.
     Bill Burton (D-IN, Ossining ), Chair of the Legislation Committee, voiced his approval.  "This legislation is consistent with federal legislation.  It will greatly benefit people who are struggling in this difficult economy."
     As proposed, the law would allow “Source of Income” to become a protected class under Westchester’s Fair Housing Law, and would include any legal, verifiable income derived from social security, or any form of federal, state or local public assistance or housing assistance,  including the federal housing subsidy known as “Section 8.” Other provisions of the law include:
A six-month delay in implementing the provisions for source of income for new tenants.
     An education requirement to assist the public in understanding Fair Housing regulations Landlord assistance, which includes a website and “hotline” to assist landlords with Section 8 issues
     The law does provide an exemption, consistent with existing Fair Housing Law, for private housing accommodations. Those privately-owned buildings that consist of no more than four families living independently of each other are exempt from the Source of Income guidelines—provided that the building’s landlord doesn’t own more than one such building in which the he or she doesn’t actually reside.
     The public hearing is scheduled to start at 7:30pm.