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Housing Discrimination

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Bergen County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories Bergen County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories
Bergen County Landlords Among 25 Facing Fines For Considering Tenants' Criminal Histories Twenty-five landlords are facing fines after state officials said they violated state laws by considering potential tenants' criminal histories. According to NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin and the Division on Civil Rights (DCR), the notices of violation allege that the housing providers violated the law by, among other things, asking criminal history-related questions on housing applications that are prohibited by the law. The Notices of Violation announced Monday, Sept. 16 were served on housing providers located in 15 municipalities across Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, C…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Prosecutor: North Jersey Landlord Had Sex With 13 Tenants In Exchange For Rent Relief Prosecutor: North Jersey Landlord Had Sex With 13 Tenants In Exchange For Rent Relief
Prosecutor: North Jersey Landlord Had Sex With 13 Tenants In Exchange For Rent Relief The owner of hundreds of rental units scattered across 18 residential properties in Elizabeth has been arrested and criminally charged with forcing more than a dozen of his tenants into sexual acts in exchange for financial relief, authorities said. Joseph Centanni, 73, of Mountainside, is charged with eight counts of second-degree sexual assault, one count of second-degree attempted sexual assault, and 14 counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual contact in connection with incidents taking place at various times from 2016 into 2020, acting Union County Prosecutor Lyndsay V. Ruotolo …

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
NJ Landlord Demanded Sex For Housing, Lower Rents, Justice Department Charges NJ Landlord Demanded Sex For Housing, Lower Rents, Justice Department Charges
NJ Landlord Demanded Sex For Housing, Lower Rents, Justice Department Charges For at least 15 years, an Elizabeth landlord has demanded sexual favors from tenants to get or keep apartments while offering reduced rent to others in exchange for sex, federal authorities charged. Joseph Centanni, who owns hundreds of rental units in and around Elizabeth, “initiated or threatened to initiate eviction actions against tenants who objected to or refused his sexual advances,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said Wednesday. The U.S. Justice Department took the case because Centanni -- who is married and lives in West Mountainside -- receives roughly $102,000 a month in Section 8…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
HUD: Paramus Landlord Refuses To Rent To Black Mom, Uses 'N' Word, 'White Power,' 'KKK' HUD: Paramus Landlord Refuses To Rent To Black Mom, Uses 'N' Word, 'White Power,' 'KKK'
HUD: Paramus Landlord Refuses To Rent To Black Mom, Uses 'N' Word, 'White Power,' 'KKK' A Paramus landlord texted racial slurs to a black mom while refusing to rent her an apartment, said federal housing authorities who’ve charged him with discrimination. John Graham “denied the opportunity to rent a two-bedroom apartment that was advertised on Craigslist because [the woman and her young son] are African-American,” the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) said. Graham asked the woman to come see the apartment the same day that she called him after seeing the ad, the HUD complaint says. She said she couldn't and he hung up, it says. Then came a text exchange …

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by Jerry DeMarco