Nation's largest landlord accused of Section 8 discrimination in California

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Set us as preferred Greystar, the largest corporate landlord in the country, has been accused of refusing to accept Section 8 housing vouchers in California.In a complaint filed to the California Civil Rights Department, the watchdog group Housing Rights Initiative identified 53 examples of Greystar offices and property managers in California saying they don’t accept the vouchers.The complaint was the result of a months-long investigation in which undercover operators posed as prospective tenants and recorded phone calls with Greystar employees to test their compliance with the law.“During calls, our investigators asked questions any tenant would ask: utilities, rent, etc.” said Aaron Carr, executive director of Housing Rights Initiative.

“Then at the end of the conversation, they asked the million-dollar question: ‘Do you accept rental assistance?’ Time and time again, the answer was no.”The investigation spanned six states: California, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia, as well as Washington D.C.Nearly half of the violations were found in the Golden State, including 15 in L.A.

and six in Pasadena.“We’ve never uncovered this many violations against a single company,” Carr said, adding that the previous high was roughly 10 violations, while this investigation uncovered 114.“Greystar is the worst offender we’ve ever come across.”In one instance, an investigator called Jardine Hollywood, an apartment complex located on De Longpre Avenue, asking about availability for two-bedroom apartments and whether Section 8 vouchers could be used to pay rent.

In a phone recording shared with The Times, the Greystar employee said, “We don’t take any Section 8 vouchers at this building.”In another, an investigator called Luxe Pasadena, a complex on Walnut Street, asking if any studios were av...