A’S FAIR HOUSING STORY
(This story is also available in Spanish and Chinese.)
One of the challenges in fighting contemporary housing discrimination is that it is mostly subtle and nuanced, unlike the blatant acts of racism and bias that were more common before fair housing laws were passed. But bad actors are still out there, making offensive statements and trying to deny homes to qualified tenants. That was the experience of A and her partner J.
The couple met in law school and moved into a family-owned apartment in the Financial District in 2011 after graduation. Several years later, when their apartment was sold, finding a new apartment became priority.
After a long search and under a tight deadline, they were eventually shown a one-bedroom unit in Inwood that fit their budget, close to the subway and surrounded by several parks. It seemed a perfect fit, and they were eager to meet with their broker and the landlord to secure the apartment. But from the moment they entered the landlord’s office, they could tell something wasn’t right.
A is biracial. Her appearance doesn’t fit neatly into people’s preconceived notions of racial or ethnic categories. J’s family is Chinese-American. And although Inwood is diverse as a whole, like many NYC neighborhoods, it is very clearly divided racially.
Before even reviewing their paperwork, the landlord – a white man in his 70s – appeared uneasy with them as potential tenants, wondering why they wanted to move into his building. “Why here?” he asked, clearly implying they’d be more comfortable somewhere else.
He then proceeded to make statements that, as A would later learn, blatantly violated fair housing laws.
When he saw in their paperwork that they had both graduated from law school, he said “Having two lawyers in my building scares me.” Landlords may be reluctant to rent to attorneys who might sue them, but Lawful Occupation is a protected characteristic under the New York City Human Rights Law.
He then noted that neither of them was wearing a wedding ring and asked if they were married. When they replied, “Not yet,” he responded with a crude joke. Marital Status is a protected characteristic under the New York State Human Rights Law.
Race and National Origin are federally protected under the Fair Housing Act. But after asking J about his family’s origins and how long they had been in this country, the landlord used his fingers to pull his eyes into a slanted shape and asked, “And your people haven’t evolved out of this?”
Their immediate emotions were overwhelming: stunned, shocked, outraged, humiliated. How was this even happening? A had grown up on Army bases around the world. She and her diverse group of friends had been taught tolerance from an early age. She and J had both viewed New York as the ultimate melting pot, a city that would embrace their multiracial identities. Instead, they were being subjected to old-school racism that was supposedly outlawed in 1968.
J was enraged and ready to call out the landlord for his outrageous conduct, but A restrained him. “We had no other place to live. It was really dire for us.” It was a classic case of the discrimination power dynamic – even when victims are aware their rights are being violated, they’re often reluctant to report or fight back because they desperately need somewhere to live.
Before things could escalate any further the broker intervened, pulling the landlord outside the office and demanding to speak to his son who also managed the building. “Your father can no longer work front-of-house,” he told the son, because he had engaged in unlawful conduct. The broker apologized to the couple and said they would only be working with the son going forward.
They left the office shaken, not knowing what to expect next.
Soon afterwards, the broker notified them they had been accepted. They suspected the acceptance was an attempt to placate them and avoid a lawsuit, but felt they had no choice. They moved the following week, into a building where they knew they weren’t welcome, paying thousands in rent every month to a man who had belittled and insulted them.
A didn’t know it at the time, but her experience would have a major impact on the path of her career over the next decade.
During their apartment search, she had been looking for a job where she could put her law degree to use working as an advocate. Her job search eventually brought her to the FHJC where she joined the investigative team.
In learning about the details of protected characteristics and prohibited conduct, she discovered that home seekers in New York City and State have more protections than she realized. Now she was ready to join the fair housing fight on behalf of others.
Because of her experience in that landlord’s office, A feels a special connection to the people the FHJC assists with housing discrimination complaints. Even when the discrimination is more subtle, she empathizes because she has quite literally been in their position.
“Working in this line of work is challenging but also rewarding,” she says. Reading discrimination reports, and reviewing evidence in case after case of people being denied housing based on a protected characteristic, will never become normalized for her. “We came here thinking of New York as the great melting pot, but at the end of the day everyone still retreats to their own neighborhood where everyone is the same and outsiders aren’t allowed. You think people are going to change, but they just don’t.”
On the other hand, she says the FHJC has been a very rewarding job experience. “I’m inspired by the dedication of my colleagues. And I really love the feeling of finding housing for others.”
And when FHJC investigations catch housing providers treating other applicants the way she and J were treated that day?
“It is a good opportunity to right the wrong the complainant experienced, as well as teach the landlord that their behavior is illegal.”
More than anything, she continues to focus on the bigger picture. “The work is important because housing is the fundamental foundation for everything in our lives. And it’s important to remember – especially now: Our diversity is our STRENGTH.”
This newsletter is part of the FHJC’s My Fair Housing Story outreach initiative. To read the other stories in the series as they are published, click HERE or visit https://fairhousingjustice.org/category/personal-stories/.
The mission of the FHJC, a nonprofit civil rights organization, is to eliminate housing discrimination, promote policies and programs that foster open, accessible, and inclusive communities, and strengthen enforcement of fair housing laws in the New York City region.