Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on Apr. 28 that the Office of the Attorney General and the Division on Civil Rights are renewing their efforts to protect New Jersey residents from housing discrimination, expand housing opportunities, and address housing costs.
The announcement comes as part of a broader initiative to confront affordability challenges and ensure fair access to housing for all residents. The renewed enforcement actions include addressing discrimination based on criminal history, source of lawful income, and mortgage redlining.
Davenport said, “Access to affordable, safe housing is out of reach for too many New Jerseyans. We will use every enforcement tool at our disposal to confront this affordability crisis and expand housing opportunity for all New Jerseyans – and that includes taking on housing discrimination whenever it puts homeownership or rental housing out of reach for New Jerseyans.” She added, “With the federal government backing away from enforcing our civil rights laws and combating housing discrimination, it is more important than ever that states lead the charge in addressing predatory practices. Today’s enforcement actions underscore our renewed commitment to expanding housing opportunity and taking on discriminatory practices that make housing less affordable.”
The Division on Civil Rights issued final orders assessing penalties against 14 housing providers who violated the Fair Chance in Housing Act by asking prohibited criminal history questions or maintaining non-compliant policies. Penalties ranged from $500 to $1,000 for properties across several cities including Blackwood, East Orange, Lakewood, Mays Landing, Newark, New Brunswick, Rahway, Somerset, and Williamstown. In addition to these cases involving criminal history-based discrimination in applications or advertisements,0 notices were issued advising providers about possible violations with corresponding civil penalties.
The division also found probable cause in 11 cases alleging violations of state law prohibiting source-of-income discrimination after investigations revealed property owners denied rentals using government assistance such as Section 8 vouchers. The Housing Rights Initiative filed seven complaints after testers were told by landlords or agents that vouchers would not be accepted; four other individuals filed similar verified complaints.
Yolanda N. Melville, Director of the Division on Civil Rights said: “Many New Jerseyans rely on rental assistance programs like Section 8 to acquire affordable housing. Having a history with the criminal legal system cannot automatically bar you from having fair access to housing. And race should never be a determining factor of whether someone can get a mortgage.” Melville continued: “We are committed to enforcing the protections offered by our civil rights laws because safe, affordable housing is a necessity, not a privilege.”
New Jersey also secured amended agreements with Trident Mortgage LP and Fox & Roach LP regarding compliance with an earlier redlining settlement after federal agencies ended their oversight before relief was fully distributed. These changes ensure promised benefits under one of the largest mortgage redlining settlements will still reach affected residents despite federal withdrawal.
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These recent actions highlight ongoing efforts during Fair Housing Month as state authorities seek both immediate remedies for those affected by discriminatory practices while reinforcing longer-term commitments toward equal opportunity.
