NYC Landlord Fined $1M, City Record High For Housing Discrimination

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Eric Adams announced Thursday the city's largest civil rights penalty against a Bronx landlord for alleged housing voucher discrimination.

The New York City Commission on Human Rights imposed $1 million in civil penalties to Parkchester Preservation Management.

The company had excluded renters with vouchers from the apartment complex by requiring minimum income requirements, non-refundable deposits, and other requirements for tenancy, officials said.

Parkchester Preservation Management required housing applicants to have specific levels of income in relation to the monthly rent of a unit, and would not consider the full voucher amount as part of the applicant’s income.

This practice made it nearly impossible for anyone with a rental subsidy to qualify for a unit.

In its investigation, CCHR concluded that these practices sought to discriminate against voucher holders and keep them from obtaining housing. Of the over 6,000 rental units in Parkchester Preservation Management, only a small fraction were occupied by voucher holders.

The settlement will also require setting aside 850 units exclusively for voucher holders, officials said.

"While we are tackling a generational housing shortage and affordability crisis, our administration is also going after the bad actors who prey on New Yorkers in the housing market," Adams said in a statement. "This announcement is a win for the everyday New Yorkers in search of safe, stable housing, and a warning sign for any predatory group trying to harm tenants.”