Following a groundbreaking settlement secured by ECBAWM in August 2024, in which Parkchester agreed to set aside apartments and end minimum income requirements for renters with housing vouchers and subsidies, ECBAWM has secured an additional settlement between Parkchester and a Section 8 voucher holder, Ms. S.

In November 2022, ECBAWM filed a complaint on behalf of Ms. S. in the New York Division of Human Rights against Parkchester for discriminating against Ms. S. based on her source of income. As part of the settlement, Parkchester agreed to pay Ms. S $75,000 plus her attorney’s fees, which is believed to be one of the highest settlements ever approved by the Division in a housing discrimination case.

In a statement, Ms. S said: “The value of having a home: a place to come back to at night, a safe place to protect your children and raise your family, somewhere that’s yours is absolutely priceless. I’ve always believed in standing up for myself, so I greatly appreciate the support, the effort and the fight from the FHJC and especially from my attorneys Diane Houk and Vivake Prasad. They made me be heard and I will forever be grateful.”

The settlement was featured in the newsletter of the Fair Housing Justice Center, available here.

Ms. S was represented by ECBAWM attorneys Diane L. Houk and Vivake Prasad.