Alexander Parmenidez is a Providence-based Realtor for Coldwell Banker Realty and was named 2022 Realtor of the Year by the Northern Rhode Island Board of Realtors. A Cumberland resident, he has been a licensed real estate agent since 2013, but he is also chairperson of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at the Rhode Island Association of Realtors. In that role, Parmenidez promotes fair housing practices, diversity in hiring in the real estate industry, and equity for Rhode Island’s underserved communities.
PBN: Rhode Island has a relatively new law that’s meant to protect renters from discrimination when they try to use housing vouchers. What do property owners and landlords need to know about this, especially about enforcement and fines?
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
PARMENIDEZ: Since April 2021, Rhode Island law prohibits discrimination in housing transactions due to source of income. That means that those who rely on low-income public assistance, veterans’ assistance, Social Security or other federal, state, or public assistance programs can’t be denied the right to rent or buy a home or apartment based on the means they will use to pay part or all of the monthly housing obligation. Those receiving alimony or child support are also protected.
The penalties for violating Rhode Island fair housing laws run from up to $10,000 for a first offense to a maximum of $50,000 for repeat offenders. The Commission for Human Rights can also order the person to pay attorney fees and court costs and the person who experiences discrimination can pursue damages as well.
PBN: Some residential landlords may think that full cash-paying tenants might be more reliable tenants, and that Section 8 vouchers can come with a whole bunch of red tape, such as unit inspections, and a bad reputation that may come with subsidized housing. Why isn’t it my right as a property owner to avoid all of that?
PARMENIDEZ: The short answer is discrimination is not legal under the Fair Housing Act. The underlying tenet of the Source of Income protection is that everyone has the right to accessible housing to avoid housing insecurity. No one should be denied that right if they’ve shown that they have a legal source of income.
PBN: What are the red flags that could indicate that the new Rhode Island fair housing law is being violated when it comes to using housing vouchers to pay the rent?
PARMENIDEZ: Prospective tenants may be told by the landlord that they don’t take Section 8, or they’re told that the apartment or home has been rented as soon as the landlord hears that a housing voucher will be used to help pay the rent. These are the most common.
PBN: How big of a problem do you think income discrimination was in Rhode Island before the passage of this new law? Have there been many complaints, especially compared to other states?
PARMENIDEZ: In 2018, South Coast Fair Housing researched the prevalence of discrimination in housing transactions for Rhode Islanders using housing vouchers in a two-part study. Part one of the research involved monitoring ads for rentals. The research showed that only 27% of online listings were plausibly accessible to a tenant with a voucher. Following that, testers called on 150 neutral (no discriminatory language) rental advertisements and found that 63% flatly refused to consider a tenant with a voucher. Twenty-one states have protections in place for those who use housing vouchers, and several others have local ordinances in place.
PBN: What should a tenant do if they believe they’ve been discriminated against when trying to get a new apartment using a Section 8 voucher?
PARMENIDEZ: They should contact the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights at 401-222-2661, or via email at RICHR.housing@richr.ri.gov.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockObama.
