Syracuse, N.Y., Local Laws ch. 8 § 8-1

The purpose of this local law has been, and continues to be, to provide local protections against discrimination for persons in the City of Syracuse based on individual characteristics or circumstances that do not receive explicit protection in existing state, county, or federal human and civil rights laws. The intent of this law when created, and through subsequent amendments, has been to deter and prevent the harms that can result from such discrimination.
In 1990, the City of Syracuse enacted a "Fair Practices Law" (Local Law No. 17) in order to extend such human rights protections on the basis of sexual orientation within the City of Syracuse. In 1998, Onondaga County followed by enacting a similar "Fair Practices Law" (Local Law No. 2) which extended these protections throughout the County. In late 2002, New York State amended its Human Rights Law (Executive Law, Article 15) by enacting the "Sexual Orientation Non-Discrimination Act" (SONDA) in order to extend these protections throughout the State. In 2012, the City of Syracuse, through Local Law No. 7-2012 amended its "Fair Practices Law" (Local Law No. 17) in order to extend such human rights protections on the bases of actual or perceived sex, gender identity or expression.
The state, and federal governments have not yet to enacted any human rights laws that would guarantee protection against housing discrimination based on the sources of income on which a person relies, wholly or in part, to ensure payment of rent to a landlord. Nationwide, more than five million people utilize Section 8 vouchers provided by the federal Housing Choice Voucher program.
Other types of subsidies used by people living in Syracuse to ensure payment of rent to a landlord can include Social Security, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), other types of vouchers, state or federal disability programs, foster care programs, disability or unemployment insurance, pensions or annuities, public assistance, child support, alimony, or veteran's benefits.
Discrimination against voucher holders, and recipients of other subsidies, can severely limit the housing choices that are available to these individuals and families, and can perpetuate patterns of racial, ethnic, and economic segregation.
Currently, landlords in the City of Syracuse can turn away families solely because they will rely on a subsidy or other lawful source of income from a third party to pay all or part of their rent. This can make it difficult for a person to find safe and affordable housing for themselves and their dependents and ultimately negate the effectiveness of government supported housing assistance programs. A landlord's refusal to consider a person as a tenant, based on the a lawful source of income on which they would rely to pay rent, may also be a proxy for discrimination based on race or disability that would otherwise be illegal.
Thirteen (13) states and more than forty (40) localities across the U.S. have enacted legislation banning housing discrimination based on the sources of income on which a person would rely to ensure payment of rent to a landlord. In New York State, the following jurisdictions have passed such laws: the City of Buffalo and New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County, and the Towns of Hamburg and West Seneca.
The purpose of this amendment to the Fair Practices Law is to ensure, under the police powers granted to the City of Syracuse, that every individual in the City of Syracuse shall also enjoy protection from housing discrimination based upon the sources of income upon which a person may rely to pay rent. This amendment is intended to eliminate and prevent such discrimination, and thereby increase the diversity of rental housing choices available throughout the City of Syracuse.
Therefore, it is the finding of this common council, that as a matter of public policy and pursuant to the city's general police powers that landlords in Syracuse should not be able to turn away individuals based on their sexual orientation, their actual or perceived sex, or gender identity or expression and neither should landlords be able to turn away individuals or families solely because a head of household will rely on subsidies to pay all or part of their rent.
Furthermore it is the finding and policy of this common council that this local law is intended to ensure, under the police powers granted to the City of Syracuse, that every individual shall enjoy protection from discrimination in employment, housing and places of public accommodation, resort or amusement based on their actual or perceived sex or their gender identity, and enjoy protection from housing discrimination based on the sources of income upon which they rely to pay rent. This law was created and has been amended to eliminate such forms of discrimination, and to prevent the resulting harm to individuals and families throughout the City of Syracuse.