The settlement will also require setting aside 850 units exclusively for voucher holders
NYC Landlord Fined $1M, City Record High For Housing Discrimination
Mayor Eric Adams announced the city’s largest civil rights penalty against a Bronx landlord for alleged housing voucher discrimination.
The New York City Commission on Human Rights imposed $1 million in civil penalties to Parkchester Preservation Management.
The company had excluded renters with vouchers from the apartment complex by requiring minimum income requirements, non-refundable deposits, and other requirements for tenancy, officials said.
Parkchester Preservation Management required housing applicants to have specific levels of income in relation to the monthly rent of a unit, and would not consider the full voucher amount as part of the applicant’s income.
This practice made it nearly impossible for anyone with a rental subsidy to qualify for a unit.
In its investigation, CCHR concluded that these practices sought to discriminate against voucher holders and keep them from obtaining housing. Of the over 6,000 rental units in Parkchester Preservation Management, only a small fraction were occupied by voucher holders.
The settlement will also require setting aside 850 units exclusively for voucher holders, officials said.
“While we are tackling a generational housing shortage and affordability crisis, our administration is also going after the bad actors who prey on New Yorkers in the housing market,” Adams said in a statement.
“This announcement is a win for the everyday New Yorkers in search of safe, stable housing, and a warning sign for any predatory group trying to harm tenants.”
Source: Patch.com
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