A Woodbridge, New Jersey company has been charged with violating the Fair Housing Act after one of its employees denied housing to an Arab Muslim couple.
On September 15, 2001 the couple applied to rent a unit in the Barron’s Gate Apartments. While they were filling out their application the landlord, employed by Barron’s Gate Construction Co., allegedly told them that his friend who owned a weapons store in the area had sold a number of weapons to people who wanted to kill Arabs and Muslims. He attributed this to the events of September 11th. To spite the threat the couple continued to fill out the application form and paid the necessary fee to have a credit check done.
The landlord contacted the couple a few days after meeting with them and informed them that they had been turned down for the apartment. They were told that this was due to their limited credit and employment history.
In response the couple offered to pay for a years rent upfront but this offer was rejected.
Following this incident the Housing Coalition of Central New Jersey sent a white female applicant into the Barron’s Gate apartment complex with similar credentials to those of the Arab couple. This applicant was told that she should have no problem getting the apartment.
A U.S. Administrative Law Judge will hear the Arab couples case against Barron’s Gate Construction Co. in January 2005.
Housing discrimination charges can result in a maximum civil penalty of $11,000.
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