New law cracks down on tenant discrimination
BY BILL PARRY
New York State
has outlawed housing
discrimination based on
the lawful source of a
person’s income.
Source of income is
often used by landlords as
a pretext to discriminate
against potential tenants
who are single mothers,
survivors of domestic
abuse, veterans, minorities,
elderly individuals or people
with disabilities.
“Too often unscrupulous
landlords unfairly block
seniors, single mothers,
survivors of domestic
violence and other New
Yorkers from renting a home
simply because of where
they get their income,”
Governor Andrew Cuomo
said. “That ends today. With
this legislation, we will stop
this discriminatory behavior
once and for all and ensure
every New Yorker has access
Governor Andrew Cuomo Photo courtesy Andrew Cuomo
to fair housing.”
Lawful sources of
income include Section 8
Housing Choice Vouchers,
Supplemental Security
Income, Social Security
Disability, veteran’s benefits,
and other government
subsidies. The new law will
enable New York families
with such sources on income
to more easily transition
out of shelters, substandard
housing, and concentrated
areas of poverty by
removing this key barrier to
accessing housing.
State Senator Leroy
Comrie said he was
“heartened” that the new law,
enacted in the state budget,
contained major provisions
from legislation he has long
sponsored, Senate Bill 3011.
“Safe and affordable
housing is among the most
essential and fundamental
building blocks in life and
this new law protects the
inherent right of our most
vulnerable individuals and
families to fully access the
housing market with respect
and dignity, sans economic
bias,” Comrie said.
State Senator James
Sanders agreed.
“Everyone deserves the
opportunity to have access
to affordable housing if they
can pay their rent through
lawful sources of income,
even if that means using
vouchers, Section 8 or other
public assistance programs,”
he said.
Assemblyman David
Weprin explained how
important the issue is.
“Source of income
housing discrimination
not only leaves New York
families without a place
to live but also isolates
them from access to highquality
schools, hospitals,
employment opportunites,
and resources over time,”
Weprin said. “It was
imperative that we end
housing discrimination
based on the income
source of a person in
New York this year and I
applaud Governor Andrew
Cuomo for making this
important step that protects
New York’s tenants.”
Queens students earn free ride to Vaughn College
BY BILL PARRY
Six high school seniors from
East Elmhurst and Corona
were awarded four-year fulltuition
scholarships to Vaughn
College of Aeronautics and
Technology, Governor Andrew
Cuomo announced.
The $1.3 million scholarship
program is part of the Cuomo
administration’s continuing
effort to provide opportunities
for local communities to
share in the economic
benefits of the massive
$8 billion LaGuardia Airport
redevelopment project.
“A critical part of
delivering a new world
class LaGuardia Airport is
ensuring the local community
is included every step of the
way,” Cuomo said. “I want to
congratulate the winners of
the LaGuardia opportunity
scholarships and look forward
to these future leaders helping
to build a modern, state-ofthe
art LaGuardia that will
fundamentally transform New
York for generations to come.”
The initiative provides
local students an education
in the aviation field, with
the promise of a full-time
position in aviation at the Port
Authority upon graduation.
Recipients will also be offered
paid internships at Port
Authority airports during the
summers of their enrollments
at Vaughn..
“Vaughn College is proud
to partner with the Port
Authority to offer the students
of Queens an incredible
opportunity to join this indemand
industry,” Vaughn
College President Dr. Sharon
DeVivo said. “Graduates of our
institution have the greatest
likelihood of moving to the
top in income out of every
other college in the country,
and coupled with a debt-free
education and employment
possibilities in Queens, these
students have an almost
guaranteed successful future
ahead of them.”
The scholarship
announcement coincided with
the opening of the new Council
for Airport Opportunity
LaGuardia Career Center
located in a building operated
by Elmcor, the Corona-based
social services agency. CAO
is a nonprofit organization
that provides airport=related
recruitment and job placement
services to minorities and
disadvantaged residents
in Queens.
The center is located at 107-
20 Northern Blvd. in Corona.
“For the $8 billion overhaul
Six students from Corona and East Elmhurst receive full rides to Vaughn College as part of the
LaGuardia Airport redevelopment project. File photo
of LaGuardia Airport to be
successful, we must dedicate
ourselves to ensuring that
new employment and contract
opportunities are filled by
Queens residents, boosting
both the efficiency of the
airport and the economy of the
surrounding neighborhood,”
Queens Borough President
Melinda Katz said. “Today’s
opening of the Council
for Airport Opportunity
LaGuardia Career Center at
Elmcor helps advance that
incredibly vital mission.
Fostering the development of
the borough’s future leaders
in aviation is also a crucial
step toward operating stateof
the-art facilities like new
LaGuardia Airport, and
we congratulate the six
dedicated Queens student
scholarship winners who will
no doubt flourish at Vaughn
College of Aeronautics
and Technology.”
Reach reporter Bill
Parry by email at bparry@
schnepsmedia.com or by phone
at (718) 260–4538.
44 TIMESLEDGER, MAY 10-16, 2019 QNS.COM
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