Property Management: Watchdog Group Sues for Section 8 Discrimination

Real Estate News: Real Estate Investing Podcast

Dozens of New York City landlords are being accused of discriminating against people with housing vouchers. A housing rights watchdog group filed a federal lawsuit against 88 brokers and landlords after an undercover operation that involved recorded phone calls.

The state of New York made it illegal to discriminate against tenants based on their source of income in 2019. That includes people who use Section 8 vouchers to pay their rent as well as other forms of assistance like child support, alimony, foster care subsidies, and veterans benefits. There are a few exceptions that include rentals in one- or two-family homes but only if they are occupied by the owner.

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Links: 1 - https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/source_of_income_discrimination.pdf 2 - https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/15/nyregion/real-estate-lawsuit-section-8-discrimination.html 3 - https://www.nmhc.org/research-insight/analysis-and-guidance/source-of-income-laws-by-state-county-and-city/