The Long Island Housing Services (LIHS) settlement of a Source of Income and Disability Discrimination complaint against H&G Realty originated with an investigation of New Highway Apartments. H&G Realty has offices in Middle Island and Miller Place, New York.
In 2018, LIHS received multiple allegations of source of income and disability discrimination against New Highway Apartments in Copiague, NY. During the investigation, LIHS believed that New Highway Apartments had contracted with Coldwell Banker Easton Properties and H&G Realty to rent their units to prospective tenants. This caused LIHS to also test and investigate Coldwell Banker Easton Properties and H&G Realty for source of income and disability discrimination.
As part of the investigation, LIHS’ testers posed as ordinary home seekers to document the treatment they experienced in order for LIHS to determine compliance with fair housing laws.
Long Island Housing Services’ 2019 testing and investigation revealed evidence that a tester posing as a person having a Housing Choice voucher and a disability allegedly were not told about available apartments and was unable to make appointments to see apartments. In comparison, evidence demonstrated that a tester without disability or an alternative source of income was able to make an appointment to view the available housing and see the available apartments on site. A difference of treatment based on the protected classes of disability and source of income is illegal housing discrimination protected under fair housing and human rights laws.
LIHS recently settled a similar source of income and disability discrimination complaint against Coldwell Banker Easton Properties. In 2020, LIHS settled the case against New Highway Apartments for source of income and disability discrimination.
People who believe that they have experienced housing discrimination in Nassau or Suffolk Counties, can contact Long Island Housing Services, Inc. at 631-567-5111 ext. 375
Hablamos Español 631-567-5111 Ext. 378 or info@lifairhousing.org
The federal Fair Housing Act, New York State Human Rights Law, Nassau County Human Rights Law and Suffolk County Human Rights Law prohibit discrimination on the basis of disability.
Further, New York State, Suffolk and Nassau County Human Rights Laws prohibit discrimination based on a lawful source of income. Source of income discrimination occurs when a housing provider refuses to accept a lawful source of income, including, but not limited to, Supplemental Social Income (SSI), Social Security Disability (SSD), Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program, Nursing Home Transition and Diversion (NHTD) Housing Subsidy, Olmstead Housing Subsidy (OHS), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Medicaid Waiver program, or child support.
Reinforcing Fair Housing Rights
After negotiation with H&G Realty, the parties reached a settlement agreement, including policy changes that include adopting a non-discriminatory fair housing policy, displaying compliance with fair housing laws and providing fair housing training to their employees and agents.
“Based on our experience of the last few years, we have found that disability and source of income discrimination is prevalent in Long Island,” said Ian Wilder, LIHS Executive Director. “Individuals with alternative sources of income (e.g. housing vouchers) or persons having a disability have difficulty in obtaining reliable housing in Long Island. Property owners often refuse to rent to applicants with disabilities and refuse to accept lawful sources of income that are not from employment. This refusal is illegal and discriminatory and we are committed to the continued enforcement of fair housing laws.”
______________________________________________________________________________
Founded in 1969, Long Island Housing Services’ mission is the elimination of unlawful discrimination and promotion of decent and affordable housing through advocacy and education LIHS is a private, nonprofit HUD-qualified Fair Housing Enforcement Organization and a federally certified, approved Housing Counseling agency. (www.LIFairHousing.org)
The Fair Housing enforcement and advocacy work of LIHS is supported through grants from the Fair Housing Initiatives Program of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The Fair Housing enforcement and advocacy work is also supported by the Suffolk County Office of Housing and Community Development and Town of Islip Office of Housing and Community Development, which provides support for LIHS’ housing counseling and fair housing efforts with federal pass-through funds of HUD’s Community Development Block Grant program.
Social media and google translate