Eastchester Landlord Sued for Discriminatory Rental Practices
The Fair Housing Justice Center (FHJC) and three African American testers filed a lawsuit in federal district court (SDNY) last week alleging that New Property Associates, LLC and Building Superintendent Dikson Dumitrescu are discriminating against African American prospective renters at a 53-unit rental building located in the Town of Eastchester.
In a three-month investigation conducted in early 2018, the FHJC sent African American and white testers to a rental building located at 9 New Street in the predominantly white suburban town of Eastchester. The testers posed as prospective renters with similar socio-economic characteristics so that the primary difference between them was race. During the undercover investigation, white testers were routinely told about and shown available apartments, offered rental applications, given the building superintendent’s phone number, and encouraged to return completed applications directly to the super. African American testers were told about and shown fewer available units, not given rental applications or the super’s phone number, and referred to a real estate broker to inquire further about apartment availabilities.
FHJC Executive Director Fred Freiberg stated, “The racially discriminatory practices detailed in this complaint are, sadly, not that uncommon. Fifty years after the passage of the federal Fair Housing Act, racial discrimination often occurs in more subtle ways that are difficult, if not impossible, for people to detect.” Freiberg added, “Subtle and deceitful tactics that treat people less favorably, make housing unavailable, and exclude people based on race are just as harmful and illegal as more overt discriminatory conduct.”
The plaintiffs are seeking damages and injunctive relief that would bring the defendants into compliance with fair housing laws and ensure non-discrimination in the future.
