Bucks Co. Landlord To Pay Tenant $75K After Housing Discrimination Lawsuit

QUAKERTOWN, PA – The owner and former manager of four Bucks County rental properties agreed to resolve a federal lawsuit brought against them by the United States in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Department of Justice announced Wednesday.

The lawsuit accused the defendants, Mohamed Bacchus and Alan Zander, of violating the Fair Housing Act by refusing to let a tenant’s girlfriend move into his Quakertown rental with him because she was pregnant with his son, and because the tenant was in recovery from an alcohol addiction.

The Fair Housing Act’s ban on familial status discrimination protects people under 18 years old, as well as any person who is pregnant. While its disability protections to do not cover current, illegal use of or addiction to a controlled substance, it prohibits discrimination against people in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction.

The tenant in the United States’ lawsuit successfully completed an alcohol treatment program and was in recovery from his addiction for approximately nine months before requesting that his girlfriend move into the property, according to the justice department’s news release.

Under the consent order, the defendants will pay a total of $75,000 to the tenant and his child. The consent order also requires defendants to take actions directed towards preventing future unlawful discrimination, including: complying with the Fair Housing Act, undergoing training and implementing nondiscrimination policies on the Fair Housing Act in connection with the rental and management of residential properties, and submitting to compliance and reporting requirements.

“The expectation and arrival of a new baby is supposed to prompt celebration, not the threat of eviction,” said U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams, of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The same should be true of individuals putting in the hard work to manage their addictions – they deserve support, not hurdles, to access safe, affordable housing. Expanding families and those working to remain on stable footing should be able to rely on the continuity of their home.”

The consent order resolving the lawsuit, which was approved Wednesday by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, arose as a result of a complaint filed with the Department of Housing and Urban Development by the tenant on behalf of himself and his minor daughter.

After the department investigated the complaint, it issued a charge of discrimination and the case of United States v. Bacchus, et. al, was referred to the Justice Department.

“The Fair Housing Act seeks to ensure that individuals, who are recovering from addiction, and their families can access housing free from housing discrimination,” said Demetria L. McCain, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development. “HUD applauds the Department of Justice for its partnership with HUD and its aid in resolution of this matter.”

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