Derek Stein is Senior Housing Policy Associate at ERASE Racism, the regional civil rights organization based on Long Island. In that capacity, he analyzes housing inequities in New York and advocates policy changes to advance housing equity.

Prior to joining ERASE Racism, Derek worked in local government on Long Island, including serving in the Office of the Suffolk County Legislature’s Presiding Officer and overseeing the Fair Housing Task Force that was created in the wake of Newsday’s landmark 2019 report “Long Island Divided.” That report revealed ongoing racial discrimination on a large scale by realtors on Long Island. The report was inspired by ERASE Racism’s earlier research into racial discrimination in housing on Long Island. In 2021, the Task Force issued its own list of related recommendations to the Suffolk County Legislature.

Derek served in the Office of the Suffolk County Legislature’s Presiding Officer under two Presiding Officers: Robert Calarco and DuWayne Gregory. There he also oversaw the Youth Anti-Bullying Task Force and the Marine Industry Revitalization Advisory Council. He has also served on the staffs of Suffolk County Legislators Catherine Stark and Al Krupski. In addition, he worked for the Town of Babylon, assisting in the oversight of its Direct Support Program, which provided more than $8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to small businesses, veterans’ groups, and community organizations.

Derek is a lifelong resident of Central Islip, where he lives with his wife Nancy and is active in the community. He serves on the Board of the Central Islip Historical Preservation Society and stood as a candidate for the Suffolk County Legislature’s 10th District in 2023. He is a graduate of Stony Brook University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science.