T
he New York State Division of Human Rights is suing Dawn Home Management, an upstate landlord, over allegations of housing discrimination. The lawsuit stems from a 2017 investigation by Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO), which found that the company's rental agents allegedly told prospective renters with vouchers that they were not accepted. WRO also discovered that the landlords did not factor voucher income into the required minimum income on leases.

    According to an attorney representing WRO, the nonprofit believes that when someone has a voucher, a landlord should not apply any minimum income requirement because the person has already been vetted. A spokesperson for Dawn Homes denied the allegations, which are similar to those made by WRO three years ago. The company operates properties in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

    The lawsuit comes as the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James has halted a $3 million fair housing testing program, citing a need to rework it. The program was designed to fund fair housing testing across the state, but its quick turnaround time and limited funding may have deterred nonprofits from applying for grants.