Westchester Real Estate Firm Reaches Housing Discrimination Settlement

NEW ROCHELLE, NY — New York Attorney General Letitia James said an agreement with a Westchester real estate broker will make housing more equitable in New York's sixth largest city.

James said today that the agreement with real estate broker Pasquale Marciano and his companies, Century 21 Marciano, Anthony Marciano Real Estate Inc., and New Roc Property Management will put a stop to illegal policies that denied housing opportunities to low-income renters.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG), with the help from the Housing Rights Initiative (HRI), found that real estate agents, who Marciano oversees, violated local and state laws by refusing to rent apartments to investigators who indicated that they intended to use a Section 8 Housing Choice voucher to pay rent, according to the AG.

As part of the agreement, Marciano, who owns 13 multifamily rental properties in New Rochelle with a total of 76 units, must place nine tenants using Section 8 or other government housing subsidies in units he owns and pay $40,000 to the state, among other actions to make housing more accessible for low-income renters.

"Discrimination against low-income New Yorkers denies opportunities to those most in need of housing assistance," James said. "This agreement will open up housing specifically for low-income New Yorkers and send a clear message that this kind of discrimination is unacceptable in our communities. I want to thank the Housing Rights Initiative for their help with this investigation and consistent work to fight housing discrimination."

SEE ALSO: AG Says Westchester Realty Firm's 'Discriminatory' Practices Halted

Refusing to rent to prospective tenants based on their source of income is illegal discrimination under New York law, and wrongly denies New Yorkers equal access to housing, James said. Owners, landlords, property managers, rental agents, and brokers cannot refuse to accept potential tenants solely because they receive housing subsidies. Government-issued rental vouchers, such as the Section 8 Housing Choice voucher program, provide housing assistance to the lowest-income households to rent housing in the private market. These programs also aid senior citizens and disabled persons on fixed incomes, displaced families, and the homeless who have disabilities.

At the time of the investigation, Marciano, as the owner and head real estate broker at Century 21 Marciano, oversaw the rental leasing practices of more than 25 real estate sales agents representing Westchester landlords seeking to rent apartments, according the the Attorney General's Office. The investigation found that Century 21 Marciano enforced a policy that prohibited Section 8 holders from submitting applications for rental units. Century 21 Marciano agents specifically told investigators that the units they inquired about did not accept Section 8 vouchers because they "preferred not to," which is a violation of state and local anti-discrimination laws.

Under the agreement, Marciano and any customer-facing staff member at his companies must undergo anti-discrimination training. Marciano must also implement an anti-discrimination policy and distribute it to everyone involved in the rental process at his companies. Rental applications must include clear anti-discrimination statements containing the sentence, "we are happy to consider applicants who have housing vouchers or subsidies."

Marciano must publicly advertise all vacant units and include that government housing vouchers, such as Section 8, are accepted on every rental listing. Marciano agreed to ensure that rental application fees are capped at the $20 maximum and, during the five-year period of the agreement, must also waive broker fees for any applicants seeking to use a government housing subsidy for their rental.

"Our work with Attorney General Letitia James showcases New York State’s commitment to dismantling the harmful and illegal practice of housing voucher discrimination," Josh Murillo, Deputy Director of Housing Rights Initiative, said. "These efforts will open up apartments for countless families and increase housing opportunities for everyday New Yorkers. We extend our sincere appreciation to the Attorney General and her office for proactively and systematically addressing this critical issue head-on."

It is illegal in New York State for any owner, managing agent, broker, or any other representative to refuse to rent, sell, or lease housing to any person based on their source of income, James said. She ecouraged New Yorkers who suspect they are victims of source of income discrimination to file a complaint online.