The Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) has submitted a public comment in response to the Draft Fair Housing Growth Strategy released by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and the Department of City Planning (DCP).

The Fair Housing Growth Strategy is a citywide report with the stated purpose of evaluating NYC’s housing needs and providing a vision for more equitable housing production. Along with Where We Live NYC, it is a main component of the city’s Fair Housing Framework which was mandated by the City Council in 2023. The final report is scheduled to be released in October 2026.

In its comment, the FHJC calls out the report’s failure to focus on discrimination as an obstacle to fair housing and equitable housing development. “The draft report has diluted the meaning of fair housing, emphasizing individual choice and mobility… rather than the structural factors related to the history of segregation and the ongoing, pervasive nature of housing discrimination.”

The comment also includes seven specific recommendations for the final report “to move from broad policy statements to specific, measurable actions… to track real progress toward equity.”

Read the full text of the FHJC’s comment HERE.

The mission of the FHJC, a nonprofit civil rights organization, is to eliminate housing discrimination; promote policies and programs that foster open, accessible, and inclusive communities; and strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws in the New York City region.