THREATENED BY FEDERAL DISCRIMINATION LAWSUIT, PRIME APARTMENTS IN LAKEWOOD WILL SEEK OUT NON-JEWISH BLACK AND HISPANIC TENANTS

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As previously reported here on FAA News, Judge Must told the tenants of Prime Apartments that because the Lakewood Township Committee abolished the Rent Control Board, if they are unhappy with their rent amount they need to sue the Township to force them to reinstate the Rent Control Board.

The Township Committee - who was unhappy with the exposure of the continuing havoc that was created by their abolishment of the Rent Control Board - retaliated against the landlord by sending Mike McNeil to threaten a federal lawsuit over allegations that by only renting to Orthodox Jewish tenants, he is in violation of the Fair Housing Act.

Such litigation has occurred before in Lakewood.

In September 2006, the U.S. Justice Department filed a lawsuit alleging Fair Housing Act discrimination against non-Jewish black and Hispanic tenants at the Cottage Manor Apartments in Lakewood.

The complaint, filed in federal district court in Newark, alleged that the landlord and property manager marketed the complex to "Orthodox Jews in the local area" beginning in 2002 by offering lower rents than current tenants paid for comparable apartments. Non-Jewish black and Hispanic residents were allegedly pressured to move out of buildings that management reserved for incoming Jewish tenants and that were better maintained than other buildings in the complex. The complaint also alleged that management provided Jewish residents more favorable living conditions, such as a fenced, landscaped yard and charged the incoming Jewish tenants less rent than they did to non-Jewish tenants for apartments of similar size.

Ultimately, in April 2009, the parties settled the matter with the landlord and property manager agreeing to $170,000 to the victims of discrimination and an additional $30,000 to the government as a civil penalty.

"Segregating tenants and providing discounted rents based upon religion, national origin or race, is degrading and discriminatory," stated Acting Assistant Attorney General Loretta King of the Civil Rights Division at the time of the settlement.

In response to the Township's threats to file a Fair Housing Act lawsuit against Prime Apartments, the landlord is now seeking to bring in non-Jewish black and Hispanic tenants to every floor to avoid any litigation.

The building contains 100 apartments over 4 floors. To ensure compliance with the Fair Housing Act, the landlord is seeking to fill 25 apartments across every floor with non-Jewish black and Hispanic tenants.

This threat may have wide-ranging affects.

Ultimately, the building - which is in a prime location in Lakewood - may become less and less desirable for Orthodox Jewish tenants.

Additionally, now that the cat is out of the box, landlords of other apartment complexes around Lakewood (such as Westgate) will also need to bring in many more non-Jewish black and Hispanic tenants to comply with the Fair Housing Act.

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