LSNYC Files Federal Complaint Against Luxury Housing Complex in Staten Island Alleging Racial Discrimination

July 11, 2018, NEW YORK—Legal Services NYC today filed a federal complaint against Urby LLC, a luxury rental complex in Staten Island’s North Shore that receives millions in subsidies and incentives in exchange for setting aside 20% of the building’s approximately 500 units as affordable. The complaint was filed in the Eastern District of New York on behalf of three current and former low-income African American tenants of the complex and alleges violations of the Fair Housing Act and the New York City and State Human Rights Laws. 

According to the Complaint, shortly after Urby opened its doors in 2016, some of the tenants who were living in the market-rate units began publicly complaining on social media about the behavior of the low-income tenants, frequently using racially charged language such as “ghetto” and “crackheads.” In response, Urby initiated a campaign of harassment, including baseless and frivolous housing court litigation and aggressive but paltry buy-out offers against low-income black tenants with rental subsidies—those tenants whom Urby believed were most likely to be the “ghetto” “crackheads” of whom market-rate tenants were complaining. 

The three Plaintiffs in the lawsuit have all experienced constant harassment by Urby and were often followed by security staff, denied the same services as the market rate tenants, and falsely accused of engaging in disruptive behavior. Two of the Plaintiffs ultimately felt compelled to give up their below market rent-stabilized apartments after the landlord initiated baseless eviction proceedings, in one case citing the tenant’s role as victim of a domestic violence incident as a ground for eviction. The Plaintiffs are aware of a number of other low-income African American tenants whom Urby has pushed out through the same tactics. 

“Urby benefits from millions of dollars in incentives from New York City to offer affordable housing to low income tenants of all races in Staten Island, on an equal footing with the higher income tenants and free from harassment and discrimination,” said Rachel Granfield, Senior Staff Attorney at Staten Island Legal Services, part of Legal Services NYC. “Urby’s racial targeting of its low-income tenants is a gross breach of its legal and moral obligations as a publicly subsidized affordable housing complex and is a clear violation of Federal, City and State laws.”

Contact:
Rachel Granfield
Staten Island Legal Services
(718) 233-6459  [email protected]
 
Logan Schiff
Staten Island Legal Services
(718) 233-6460
[email protected]