Press Release  AG’s Office Sues Marshfield Real Estate Broker and Agent for Housing Discrimination

BOSTON — A Marshfield real estate broker and one of its agents have been sued for allegedly discriminating against a prospective tenant based on his receipt of public assistance, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today. The AG’s Office previously settled with the firm over discriminatory advertisements for rental apartments on the South Shore last year.

This case is part of AG Healey’s ongoing efforts to address widespread housing discrimination that disproportionately impacts Black, Latinx, low-income, and disabled residents. The lawsuit, filed in Norfolk Superior Court, alleges that Success Real Estate, Inc., and Zilda Faria, a licensed real estate agent with the firm, violated state fair housing law by illegally denying a low-income tenant the opportunity to rent an apartment because of his receipt of public assistance through the federal Section 8 voucher program. Section 8 helps low-income residents afford rental housing in the private market.

The case was referred to the AG’s Office after the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) investigated and found probable cause that the defendants unlawfully discriminated against the tenant, who is disabled, because of his source of income.

The AG’s Office alleges that the tenant’s mother, who was assisting in his search for housing, reached out to Faria in July 2019 after seeing a listing for an apartment in Canton. Faria inquired how the family was going to pay for the apartment and asked if they were Section 8 recipients after learning that the tenant is disabled. According to the AG’s Office, Faria told the tenant’s mother that the apartment owner was not interested in working with a Section 8 recipient because the required paperwork had taken too long in the past. While the tenant’s mother was ultimately able to tour the unit and submit an application, the AG’s Office alleges that the application was promptly rejected.

Under the state’s fair housing law, it is illegal for anyone renting housing to discriminate against an individual because they are disabled or because they are receiving federal, state or local housing subsidies. It is also illegal for anyone to publish or run an advertisement or make a statement that indicates there is a preference not to rent to those receiving public assistance.

Success reached a $79,200 settlement with the AG’s Office last summer for allegedly publishing advertisements for rental apartments throughout the South Shore area that included discriminatory statements based on familial status, source of income and disability. The case was part of an investigation initiated by the Suffolk University Housing Discrimination Testing Program and referred to the AG’s Office that revealed widespread systemic housing discrimination in the South Shore.

The AG’s Office is asking the court to find the defendants violated the state’s fair housing law and order them to comply. The AG’s Office is also seeking penalties and damages.

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office is committed to enforcing the state’s fair housing law and encourages those who have concerns about housing discrimination to call the office’s Civil Rights Division at 617-963-2917 or to file a complaint online.

In August, AG Healey issued a guide in English and Spanish to educate tenants, landlords and those in the real estate industry on their rights and obligations under state and federal fair housing laws.

This matter is being handled by Legal Fellow Hailey Jenkins of AG Healey’s Civil Rights Division.

###