New jersey fines property owners for denying rentals to section 8 illegal aliens

New Jersey Fines Property Owners for Denying Rentals to Section 8 Illegal Aliens

by
February 10, 2025
···

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR) announced enforcement actions against 35 property owners, managers, and real estate brokers for allegedly discriminating against tenants who use government rental assistance.

The state is taking action against those who do not want to take Section 8 rentals in their housing units. Illegal migrants living in New Jersey are often provided housing assistance.

DCR issued 15 Findings of Probable Cause in cases where landlords and agents allegedly refused to rent to individuals with Section 8 housing vouchers or other government aid, violating the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination.

Five additional cases were resolved through settlements totaling more than $105,000.

“Housing discrimination continues to harm far too many of our residents,” said Sundeep Iyer, Director of the Division on Civil Rights. “The enforcement actions announced today demonstrate our ongoing commitment to holding accountable property managers, property owners, real estate agents, and their brokerages for housing discrimination.”

Twelve of the cases originated from complaints filed by Housing Rights Initiative, a nonprofit watchdog group. The organization conducted undercover tests where representatives posing as tenants disclosed they would pay rent with Section 8 vouchers. In each case, real estate agents or landlords allegedly rejected them, sometimes making derogatory remarks about voucher holders.

The investigations focused on properties in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Monmouth, and Passaic counties. Real estate brokerages cited for violations include Opirhory Realtors, Howard Hanna Rand Realty, KP Edgestone Realty LLC, Better Home Realty, New and Modern Group LLC, and United Real Estate.

Several cases revealed patterns of discrimination. One Newark property owner allegedly turned away at least three Section 8 applicants, while a Jersey City landlord had never rented to a voucher holder in eight years despite multiple inquiries. In Elmwood Park, a real estate broker stated that a unit was “not equipped for Section 8” and was found to have sent internal messages discouraging rentals to voucher holders.

The five settled cases involved 14 property owners, managers, and real estate brokers, including Keller Williams City Life Realty, Weichert Realtors Jersey City Downtown, and Realty Mark LLC. The settlements require the respondents to pay compensation to the complainants, adopt fair housing policies, provide staff training, and undergo ongoing compliance monitoring by DCR.

A finding of probable cause does not determine guilt but indicates there is sufficient evidence to suggest a violation occurred. The enforcement actions are part of the state’s broader efforts to protect tenants from discriminatory housing practices.

Shore News Network
Shore News Network Latest posts

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

Readers can submit story tips, corrections, public records, or media inquiries through the official Shore News Network website or its verified social media channels. Shore News Network welcomes corrections and updates when new information becomes available as part of its ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent journalism.

  1. NJ Gov. Sherrill Still Has Not Frozen or Lowered Electric Bills, Instead They Have Gone Up for Most Since January
  2. Legendary Infernos Draw Huge Crowd to Toms River’s Shelter Cove Summer Concert
  3. Former Hudson County Superintendent Fired and Charged in $250K Theft Case
  4. Florida daycare worker charged after child runs across busy U.S. 27 highway