A lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Manhattan by Housing Rights Initiative accuses 88 brokerage firms and landlords in New York City of discriminating against people with Section 8 vouchers.
The lawsuit references several conversations recorded by investigators posing as potential tenants that detail the challenges faced by renters using federal housing vouchers, The New York Times reported.
The companies named in the lawsuit include small landlords and brokers, as well as larger national companies such as Compass, the Corcoran Group and a Century 21 franchise office in Manhattan.
A spokesperson for the Corcoran Group said that the company was committed to “upholding the principles of the Fair Housing Act,” referring to the 1968 federal law.
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A spokesperson for the Century 21 corporate office declined to discuss the case but said that the company does not tolerate any discrimination. Compass did not respond to a request for comment.
