Tag: housing discrimination

Nov 20

2024

Lawsuit alleges housing discrimination against families

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The Elliot on Linwood Avenue, owned by Buffalo Management Group. Photo by I’Jaz Ja’ciel Fair housing advocates are suing a large apartment manager on claims they’re refusing to rent to families with children — a violation of state and federal laws. In its lawsuit, Housing Opportunities Made Equal said it sent prospective renters with children to inquire about living in apartment buildings near the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus — The Mayflower at 66 Summer St. and The Elliott at 171-175 Linwood Ave. — owned by Buffalo Management Group. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 14, contends the company ignored phone calls, screened[...]

Posted 2 months ago

Apr 2

2024

Clover Management settles with ex-employee

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Michael Joseph, a major Democratic donor whose development firm specializes in senior housing complexes, has settled a lawsuit brought by a former employee who accused the company of racially discriminatory business practices. An order dismissing the case was filed in federal court on April 1. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed. The plaintiff, Peter Rizzo, claimed in his lawsuit that the Clover Group refused to consider areas with significant Black populations for its senior housing projects. Rizzo recorded Clover Group executives using coded language to describe their reluctance to build in Black neighborhoods, referring to Black people[...]

Posted 9 months ago

Jun 19

2023

Clover Group sued for discrimination — again

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Another former employee of the Clover Group has filed a federal lawsuit accusing the real estate firm and its president, Michael Joseph, of illegal and racially discriminatory practices. Shane Forrest of Greensboro, North Carolina, says the Williamsville-based company and its executives “intentionally engaged in illegal race-based housing discrimination by refusing to develop housing in or near Black neighborhoods.” In doing so, Forrest claims, the company violated federal law, as well as the laws of North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia, where Forrest scouted potential sites for Clover’s market-rate senior housing complexes.  Clover owns or operates dozens of such developments in a[...]

Posted 2 years ago

Oct 29

2012

Feds shirk from desegregation fight

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ProPublica reports on the the failure of the U.S. government, from the Nixon administration forward, to use its power to end segregation in housing. “The lack of political courage around these issues is stunning,” said one former federal housing official.

Posted 12 years ago
Investigative Post