FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 3, 2023
Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission reaches agreement with landlord to pay $77,000 in housing discrimination case
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC) reached an agreement with a Pennsylvania landlord to pay $77,000 to two women in a housing discrimination case. The PHRC charged the property owner with two counts of discrimination. First, the PHRC charged the landlord with making discriminatory statements about renting to a teenager. Next, the PHRC charged the landlord with failing to rent the property because of familial status (presence of a child under eighteen in the household). The PHRC reached an agreement with this landlord just prior to a scheduled public hearing. The landlord did not admit to liability.
Under the Pennsylvania Human Relations Act (PHRA), it is unlawful to make statements that indicate any preference, limitation, specification, or discrimination based upon any class protected by the law. The PHRA also makes it unlawful to refuse to rent to any individual because of a protected class. This includes discrimination on the basis of familial status in housing.
"Having a place to live is a basic human need and when that is denied to someone based on their protected class is illegal," said PHRC Executive Director Chad Dion Lassiter, MSW. "PHRC is committed to creating equitable housing opportunities and will always defend victims of discrimination. I am proud that the PHRC legal department was able to reach this resolution on behalf of the complainant."
PHRC's legal department will aggressively prosecute violations of the law to enforce these important rights. PHRC's case was prosecuted by Deputy Chief Counsel Morgan Williams and Assistant Chief Counsel Dana Prince.
The PHRC, the state's leading civil rights enforcement agency, urges anyone who has experienced acts of discrimination or hate to file a complaint with the PHRC by calling 717-787-4410. Information and resources are also available at www.PHRC.pa.gov.