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State (NY) AG sues Ithaca (upstate NY) landlord over Section 8 practices, accused of denying housing to low-income people
fingerlakes1.com ^ | 10/31/22

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.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: affordable; housing; landlord; realty; section8; subsidized; tenant
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To: 17th Miss Regt

This isn’t really about human rights.

It’s about Deep State having a mad-on for small biz private sector competition.


21 posted on 11/01/2022 7:27:25 AM PDT by mewzilla (We need to repeal RCV wherever it's in use and go back to dumb voting machines.)
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To: AbolishCSEU

Just require a 700+ credit score.


22 posted on 11/01/2022 7:37:37 AM PDT by glorgau
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To: AbolishCSEU

Ah! did you think there was actually something called “private property”? You would be mistaken. You just have the title, and must pay taxes and the upkeep.


23 posted on 11/01/2022 7:39:36 AM PDT by I want the USA back (Our news media isn't worth camel spit. Neither is the democrat party. )
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To: AbolishCSEU

Where’s the “City of Evil” graphic???


24 posted on 11/01/2022 7:40:51 AM PDT by montag813
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To: AbolishCSEU

Maybe the landlord doesn’t want his properties to be trashed when they move out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBxrHlzq4LQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Puc1CLwWNms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovtinAAqb_Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpTJ_m3oGRQ


25 posted on 11/01/2022 7:50:17 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Fox News is CNN-Lite.)
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To: glorgau

“Just require a 700+ credit score.”

My friend was looking for an apartment on Capitol Hill in DC about 17 years ago.

He had inherited $300,000 but no landlord would rent to him since his income was too low.

He wound up buying a place with an IRS tax lien that simply had to be sold.


26 posted on 11/01/2022 7:53:20 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: AbolishCSEU
As a landlord, I'd never accept a Section 8 tenant. Simply put, my lease agreement is between 2 parties: the landlord and tenant. Adding a third party, the malignant government, is bad business.

Also, I've noticed that many of the Section 8ers are entitled race hustlers. On more than one occasion I was told that I must accept them as tenants as it would be racist not to.

27 posted on 11/01/2022 8:12:03 AM PDT by thegagline (Sic semper tyrannis )
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To: AbolishCSEU

The communists want to force landlords to rent to anyone.
Landlords have the right to control who is in their property in a free country .


28 posted on 11/01/2022 8:14:46 AM PDT by HereInTheHeartland (Have you seen Joe Biden's picture on a milk carton?)
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To: AbolishCSEU

Requiring Fane to allow at least 5% of his properties to be destroyed will ultimately lead to his insurance being dropped. He should just sell off his properties now and smile at the property taxes he will no longer be paying.


29 posted on 11/01/2022 8:25:02 AM PDT by lastchance (Credo.)
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To: AbolishCSEU

We have a client who is an elderly woman in NYC. In November 2017, her now deceased husband took tenants with housing assistance - the city was to pay about 2/3, they were to pay the difference. They made one payment of the difference when signing the lease and never made another.
In 2018 she sought to have them evicted. In 2019 they settled with a signed agreement to only accept the city’s $1300 for a year, then in 2020 they would voluntarily move out.
They didn’t (surprise). And then they couldn’t be evicted because covid. As covid was ending, the tenants decided to file a complaint for violating her human rights. As part of that, she is forbidden from taking any action which may be deemed retaliatory (read: eviction). So now they’re at 5 years and counting of rent-free living in NYC.
Her supposed wrongdoings consisted of some shouting (unverified), not responding to an e-mail about death of a service dog, not timely fixing the heat when it went on the fritz, and not accepting the city’s payments. And of course the Division of Human Rights has found probable cause that she is the wrongdoer here and is now going to sue her.


30 posted on 11/01/2022 8:25:36 AM PDT by CraigEsq
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To: Disambiguator

In the military-—

Section 8 == unfit for service due to mental issues== discharged


31 posted on 11/01/2022 8:25:57 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: glorgau

How about $4000 a month rent for each 1000 sq ft???


32 posted on 11/01/2022 8:32:44 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: Brian Griffin

Indirectly, those other landlords did him a favor.


33 posted on 11/01/2022 8:33:34 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: from occupied ga

Socialists deliberately confuse “rights” with “entertainments”.

A right is something you are allowed to DO (worship, speak, own and bear arms) which government is not allowed to interfere with.

An entitlement is something which someone else is under obligation to provide to you.


34 posted on 11/01/2022 8:41:11 AM PDT by SauronOfMordor (A Leftist can't enjoy life unless they are controlling, hurting, or destroying others)
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To: AbolishCSEU

Let the tenant take their voucher and go live in New York State Attorney General Letitia James’s house. Sue her if she refuses to take them in.


35 posted on 11/01/2022 8:44:34 AM PDT by T.B. Yoits
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To: glorgau

The area that I have rental property in is strictly blue collar/low income that was once a bedroom community for Xerox.
Since those jobs dried up a long time ago, it has become the seat for the county’s social service agency. I have to lower the bar to 600 or better.

Of course Tish James will soon be outlawing screening based on credit score. That’s next. They’ve already sealed eviction records.


36 posted on 11/01/2022 8:58:59 AM PDT by AbolishCSEU (Amount of "child" support paid is inversely proportionate to mother's actual parenting of children)
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To: AbolishCSEU

“Housing is a basic human right.”

That means that every citizen of Africa is entitled to live for free in the home of every New York state official.

Time to walk the walk!


37 posted on 11/01/2022 9:02:09 AM PDT by cgbg (Claiming that laws and regs that limit “hate speech” stop freedom of speech is “hate speech”.)
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To: AbolishCSEU
There’s more to it than that now. I check their social media account and check for “cooperation.”

Interesting, brilliant!

Copying for reference.

I haven't been a landlord for over 20 years.

I always had the best of renters, most, better than me.

But I found I just didn't like being a landlord for some reason I can't explain.

38 posted on 11/01/2022 9:16:26 AM PDT by Mogger
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To: AbolishCSEU

James is even to the left of Ithaca??


39 posted on 11/01/2022 9:45:06 AM PDT by FreeReign
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To: SauronOfMordor

I agree That’s why the background check on firearms purchases is unconstitutional you in effect have to get the government’s permission to buy a firearm. If you have to get the government’s permission to do something IT IS NOT A RIGHT. I is a privilege/entitlement


40 posted on 11/01/2022 11:04:03 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy - EVs a solution for which there is no problem)
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