Summary
In this report, we do a deep dive into how SOI discrimination operates on the ground in New York City. We illustrate how landlords and brokers have developed increasingly sophisticated tactics to fly under the radar and evade enforcement. We find that corporate landlords are the primary drivers of SOI discrimination, and are less likely to incriminate themselves directly than mom and pop landlords. The discriminator’s toolbox is vast and diverse - preying on people’s desperation through scams, steering voucher holders away from coveted neighborhoods, and requesting exclusionary credit scores is just a sample of the more than 20 discriminatory practices we catalog. We also explore additional factors that feed into and exacerbate discrimination. Housing supply constraints, poorly administered voucher programs, and widespread stigma and racism create the perfect storm for discrimination to thrive.
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