Better question might be why do so many have a criminal record?
That would be the first step in logically assessing the situation.
The piece says that POC are disproportionately affected - clearly inferring that alone proves discrimination. It does not. Nowhere is it suggested or stated that if these people had clean legal records and acceptable records of rental payment they would be refused because of their color. Which would certainly be discriminatory.
On the contrary, it admits that criminal records etc are the reason. Does no one wonder why the VAST majority of criminal records belong with a minority of the general population?
I don’t know the official demographics of NY City, but a normal statistical distribution of criminal records would require that 80% of the general pop be black or Hispanic. Seems unlikely.
Aren’t they assigned their criminal record at birth? Isn’t that how it works?