The Suffolk County Legislature unanimously approved a bill Tuesday to help homeowners remove racist restrictive covenants from their deeds that barred people of color and religious minorities from living in certain Long Island homes and neighborhoods.
The legislation will create a method to start the process and waive fees to remove discriminatory covenants that, though legally unenforceable, once helped segregate the Island by prohibiting non-white and non-Christian people from buying or renting properties in certain areas.
Those "offensive" covenants remain on countless Long Island deeds because they were common practice, according to language in the bill, which will "get rid of these vestiges of separation," said Legis. Jason Richberg (D-West Babylon) last week.| read more ››
