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vant Realty, accused of steering white homebuyers away from Buffalo’s predominantly Black East Side, reached a settlement with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The agreement requires the company to pay $10,000 to Housing Opportunities Made Equal, adopt a non‑discrimination policy, and undergo a two‑year program of staff training on fair housing laws and ongoing monitoring of its practices.

    Charles Glander, the firm’s founder, denied any wrongdoing in the settlement documents, and his former counsel argued that his statements had been taken out of context. Nonetheless, the settlement was deemed a victory for Black residents in the city, according to senior counsel Morenike Fajana, who highlighted how housing decisions affect access to jobs, schools, and health care.

    The case stemmed from a year‑long investigation by HOME, a nonprofit watchdog, in partnership with the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors. HOME alleged that Glander offered Black buyers only four neighborhood options per meeting, compared to ten for white buyers, and that he directed white clients away from “unsafe” neighborhoods. HOME’s attorney, Daniel Corbitt, said the firm had repeatedly tried to engage Avant Realty in dialogue before filing suit.

    This settlement follows other recent discrimination actions in Buffalo. In April, HOME resolved a case against Buffalo Management Group, whose president and staff were accused of refusing to rent to families in the Fruit Belt and favoring professionals and students in the medical corridor. Earlier that month, the city sued a landlord and property manager for failing to address mold exposure for a tenant with respiratory issues, alleging an unlawful denial of reasonable accommodation.

    The NAACP’s focus on Buffalo reflects the city’s long history of segregation. Investigative research has shown that Black mortgage applicants in Erie and Niagara counties are twice as likely to be denied loans compared to the general population, even when income levels are similar. Corbitt has described the real estate industry as a persistent contributor to this inequality.

    In summary, Avant Realty’s settlement includes a $10,000 fine, a comprehensive training and monitoring plan, and a new non‑discrimination policy. The case underscores ongoing efforts to confront racial steering and broader housing discrimination in Western New York.