A national investigative nonprofit filed discrimination complaints Monday against more than 200 California landlords and their representatives — including major real estate brokerages — alleging they illegally refused to rent. Gave. Section 8 Voucher holder.
The Housing Rights Initiative filed complaints with the California Department of Civil Rights based on an undercover investigation.
The nonprofit organization is asking the agency to investigate the penalties against 203 companies and individuals they say violated a state law that makes it illegal to reject tenants simply because they paid with vouchers. do. It is also lobbying for more state funding To adequately enforce the law, the group and other advocates argue, this has not been done since the rules took effect in 2020.
“There’s nothing more tragic than when a family has an opportunity to own a home and they can’t because real estate isn’t following the law,” said Aaron Carr, executive director of the Housing Rights Initiative. “It’s time to get tough for California.”
The Section 8 program, named after a section of the Federal Housing Act, is one of the U.S. government’s most powerful tools for maintaining rental housing. affordable And to fight overcrowding and homelessness.
Typically, tenants pay rent equal to about 30% of their income and cover the rest with vouchers. Unlike public housing, subsidies may transfer with tenants so they can find housing with private landlords. But this is easier said than done.
families can spend years waiting list Just to get a voucher. Advocates say that when they do get housing, landlords often refuse to rent to them under the mistaken belief that they are more likely to be bad tenants, which leads to negative stereotypes of poor people as well as people of color. May reflect stereotypes, which are the majority. Section 8 of the participants.
In the midst of a long-running housing crisis, California tried to prevent those denials when it joined some other states and passed “source of income” laws that protect tenants who pay with Section 8 and other subsidies. Makes discrimination against people illegal. Forms of discrimination include refusing to pay such tenants rent at all or treating them differently in other ways, such as charging them higher security deposits.
However, state officials have faced criticism on lack of enforcement From 2020 onwards. It took three years for the Civil Rights Department to file it first trial against landlords for allegedly violating the law, and the Housing Rights Initiative’s investigation shows that discrimination remains rampant.
The organization said it used undercover testers who posed as potential tenants to conduct its investigation. Testers, via text, responded to the online listing and asked if the unit was still available. He then asked if the landlord would accept Section 8.
The nonprofit said that in the San Francisco area, 44% of the time examiners were explicitly told that Section 8 was not accepted. Denial increased from there, reaching 53% in the Oakland area, 58% in the San Jose area, and 70% in the Los Angeles area.
The group said the complaints filed based on the investigation appear to be “the largest housing discrimination case in California history.”
David Smith, litigation director at the Inner City Law Center, said discrimination against Section 8 tenants is likely more widespread because those percentages reflect only those who violate the law in some text. More savvy people may say they accept the voucher at first, then stop responding or say the apartment is no longer available.
“If people receiving Section 8 … can’t find legal rental units, they will become homeless,” said Smith, whose organization, along with law firms Cohen Milstein and Handley Farah & Anderson Representing together. Housing Rights Initiative in your state filing.
According to screenshots provided by the Housing Rights Initiative, those who told testers that Section 8 was not accepted included landlords, property managers and real estate agents working for property owners.
Some were affiliated with some of the nation’s largest brokerages, including Coldwell Banker Realty and Sotheby’s International Realty.
In January, a tester inquired about renting a $2,700-a-month two-bedroom condo in Koreatown.
According to screenshots of the text messages, the Coldwell Banker Realty agent confirmed the unit was available and answered the tester’s questions about parking, utilities and offered to show the condo.
But when the tester later asked if they could use Section 8, a screenshot shows, the agent responded, “No, sorry, that won’t work.”
The agent did not respond to requests for comment. Andrea Gillespie, a spokeswoman for Coldwell Banker Realty, said the brokerage provides training and other measures to “promote equal access to housing for all” and is reviewing the discrimination claims.
The screenshot also shows an agent from Sotheby’s International Realty saying that Section 8 has not been accepted. The agent and Sotheby’s did not respond to requests for comment.
These were not just agents.
In Los Angeles, screenshots show that the owner of a fourplex in Silver Lake told an examiner that Section 8 was unlikely. As did the property manager of a listing for a two-bedroom at the Palms, which claimed to be in a quiet residential neighborhood near Trader Joe’s and downtown Culver City.
In an interview, Palms apartment manager Jill Kearney said she did not recall telling anyone that Section 8 was not accepted, nor had she ever inquired about anyone with a Section 8. She said she believed the owner would follow the law if a Section 8 tenant applied.
The owner could not be reached for comment.
Landlord organizations say some property owners reluctant to accept Section 8 tenants Because government red tape may force them to wait long periods of time for necessary inspections and paperwork – a time when their unit is vacant and not collecting rent.
Daniel Yukelson, executive director of the apartment association. Greater Los Angeles officials said that’s no excuse for breaking the law, but said officials should warn first-time violators and better publicize the rules.
He said many property owners are still unaware that they cannot refuse to consider Section 8 applications.
“There is a lack of education in the state local jurisdiction That enforces these requirements,” Yukelson said.
For his part, Carr wants his organization’s filing with the Department of Civil Rights — a state agency tasked with enforcing California’s civil rights law — to require 203 companies and individuals to comply with the law. A monitor can be installed to ensure He said landlords with violations should also be required to reserve units for voucher holders.
On a broader scale, Carr said additional funding is needed for the Civil Rights Department, as it currently cannot properly enforce the source of income law.
“Anything we can do, the state, with adequate resources, can do better,” Carr said.
Department of Civil Rights spokesman Rishi Khalsa said the agency has reached more than 200 settlements related to income source discrimination in recent years and is “deeply engaged in using the tools at our disposal to combat discrimination in housing.” committed to.”
Given this, more funding may be difficult state budget situationBut Carr argued that increasing spending is not only morally right, but also fiscally prudent.
“Homelessness increases law enforcement costsHospital costs, shelter costs – all costs,” Carr said. “Housing discrimination hurts everyone.”
