Posted on 11/01/2022 6:28:42 AM PDT by AbolishCSEU
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is suing an Ithaca landlord for allegedly denying housing to low-income tenants.
Landlord Jason Fane, his company Ithaca Renting Company, and his related entities are all subject to the suit.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Mr. Fane and his real estate agents refused to accept Section 8 vouchers at his properties, in violation of New York’s housing laws against source of income discrimination. The lawsuit alleges that agents at Ithaca Renting repeatedly told renters they do not accept government assistance vouchers. Through her lawsuit, Attorney General James is seeking to require Mr. Fane to stop denying housing to New Yorkers with Section 8 vouchers, pay civil penalties, and set aside five percent of his residential housing units exclusively for Section 8 vouchers.
“All New Yorkers deserve access to fair and decent housing, regardless of their station in life,” said Attorney General James. “Denying housing to New Yorkers based on their source of income is not only illegal, but it’s also worsening the housing crisis. We are taking action to protect vulnerable tenants, keep New Yorkers in their homes, and enforce the law.”
“Housing is a basic human right. There is clear data demonstrating that access to housing stabilizes the entire community, increases public safety, and supports the economy,” said State Assemblymember Anna Kelles. “Even landlords, especially small landlords need regulations and protections and each one is hurt by the bad actors in a community. Housing should not be exclusively a commodity market. It must be balanced with human rights and dignity. I applaud Attorney General James for investigating and holding potential bad actors accountable.”
The Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program provides housing assistance to the lowest-income households in New York to rent or purchase decent, safe housing in the private housing market. The program also provides assistance to senior citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes, displaced families, and homeless individuals with disabilities. New York’s executive law clearly states that it is unlawful and discriminatory to deny housing to individuals based on their source of income.
The OAG opened an investigation into Ithaca Renting and Mr. Fane after receiving complaints from individuals who were denied housing for having a Section 8 voucher. The lawsuit alleges that an individual who was already living in an apartment managed by Mr. Fane was denied housing by Mr. Fane’s agent because of her Section 8 voucher.
The lawsuit also alleges a housing advocate was assisting a homeless man, who was granted a Section 8 voucher, to find an apartment in downtown Ithaca. The housing advocate contacted two agents who worked at different properties owned by Mr. Fane and both agents told the advocate they do not accept Section 8 vouchers. The lawsuit alleges this led to the homeless man remaining homeless for at least another year.
Mr. Fane and his related entities own 18 properties with more than 500 residential units. During OAG’s investigation, several of Mr. Fane’s agents repeatedly told OAG that they “choose not to participate in the Section 8 voucher program.” These employees, some of whom worked there for years, would not answer where or who they learned this policy from or who created it.
James is seeking to require Fane to stop his illegal practice of denying housing to those with Section 8 vouchers, and to pay $300,000 in civil penalties, reform polices and trainings for agents, and set aside five percent of his residential housing units exclusively for Section 8 vouchers.
Section 8 = property damage (more often than not)
Your property is not your property.
I’d like to see allodial title in the US, but we never will. That’s real ownership.
I’m a low-end landlord in Florida. One of my renters is a former Section 8 user. I only took her when the previous landlord, a black couple, gave her a good reference. However, the previous landlord said, “We had no idea she was moving. Can you tell me when?” Yeah, not good, but I have no complaints on her.
HOWEVER, having heard the stories about Section 8 issues and having seen some myself, I would never rent Section 8. It’s not just the issues with the renters, it’s dealing with government bureaucracy. Mark Twain said no power is exercised more vociferously than small power. If you run into a clerk who is uncooperative you can forget about getting reimbursed. I’ve seen such events as a renter blocking up all the sink drains and leaving all the faucets on until a neighbor calls the landlord to report water running down the street. Then there’s the tendency renters have to build a drug lab that could potentially destroy the house. The list goes on. In general, the chances of having those things happen are much less if the renter is paying with his own money.
Fortunately, I’ve reached the point where I almost never have to advertise. Former renters send their friends to me.
How come she is not investigating Trump???
My guess is he makes a living renting to Cornellians, and having non-students move into quasi-student housing would change the atmosphere significantly.
Thanks to Cornell, the short-medium term rental market in Ithaca is huge. I lived in college town for a year.
She’s up for re-election. Gotta look like she’s doing her job other than going after Trump.
Yes, often.
But some of my best renters were section 8.
My method of interviewing helped me to have good ones.
I always met them at their car to welcome them.
If I smelled cigarette smoke or saw a pile of beer bottles, no go.
Stereo loud, or loud exhaust, nope.
Seemed to work ok.
Remember when Section 8 was voluntary?
Very wise.
if that homeless man went to a mission to deal with his spiritual problems and become welcomed back into normal society, he would not have been homeless in the first place.
So a landlord doesn’t rent to someone who obviously can’t afford the rent so they go after the landlord. This is where we are.
Counter sue the AG for failing to uphold her responsibilities wrt "SAFE housing"....
“ Housing is a basic human right…”
No it’s not.
There’s more to it than that now. I check their social media account and check for “cooperation.”
On the social media account you can often see animals they have that aren’t mentioned on the pre-qual form that I send to everyone. Have to be careful in NYS b/c of the Emotional Support Animal syndrome where everyone has one of them (eye roll).
I had one lady who took a tour of one of my availabilities. Previous homeowner, 30 something, two young kids. Breaking up with father of kids, leaving the house to him (unusual)
Credit score, good. Employed two jobs, no smoking.
First she failed to follow my instruction as to WHERE to park, TWICE. Then I state that ALL residents MUST be at the viewing. She “forgot” to bring her two young boys. They weren’t with her. I can only speculate that they are terrors.
She also started critiquing the unit “I’d put a door here” etc. Umm no.
Also wary of those who are overly enthusiastic. Desperation is a definite NO.
I also do an in home visit to make sure there is no hoarding or unusual damage.
I had a Section 8 tenant for years. I had no problems with the government but the tenant eventually turned into a mess. Prior to renting to her, the government agent recommended that I interview the potential tenant at her residence to see how she kept the place. All looked good and I rented to her. Problems soon developed with her kids breaking anything they could. Years later when she made an idle threat to move out I accepted it and told her to vacate within 30 days. She really turned me off to owning rental property and ended my dreams of a rental real estate empire. There is no sense in laying awake every night wondering what your tenant has broken.
Yep. they are confusing the word “need” with “right.”
NO it isn't. Neither are health care, food, beer, marijuana, flat screen TVs, vacations, etc. all of the aforementioned require resources and labor to provide. If is is a basic human right, then someone has to provide them. Who? in this case the communist James is requiring the landlord to provide his at a preset government rate. - not to mention the damage that section 8 renters do and the crime that they bring with them. If someone has a "right" to some commodity or service, then someone else has an obligation to provide that commodity or service. And, if it's a "right" then the recipient doesn't have to pay anything for it, so the provider is in effect a slave of the provider.
What rubbish!
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