A property management company that runs a 612-unit apartment complex in Springfield, Massachusetts, has settled a claim with the state that it denied housing to prospective tenants who are deaf.Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy’s complaint alleges Peabody Properties, based in Braintree, violated the state’s fair housing laws. Staff at the Pynchon/Edgewater apartments in Springfield refused to consider requests for an American Sign Language interpreter from prospective tenants filling out rental applications, the AG's office said.
According to the settlement, after receiving reports that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing were facing obstacles in obtaining housing in the region, Massachusetts Fair Housing Center in Holyoke conducted several audits of the application process at the Springfield complex.
In one instance, a deaf individual posing as an applicant was told there were no available apartments and the waiting list was a year long, and then was abruptly hung up on. In another instance, the company told the individual it did not provide ASL interpreters to deaf prospective tenants who requested one as a reasonable accommodation.
Rick Glassman, director of advocacy at the Disability Law Center, said landlords and realtors need to know their obligations under fair housing laws.
"What all of us want is to avoid these kinds of incidents from happening in the first place," he said. "But it's also important that there be enforcement on the other end."
As part of the settlement, Peabody employees are required to attend fair housing trainings and a training conducted by the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
The company must post a sign regarding the right to an interpreter at each property it manages and appoint an employee at each property who is responsible for coordinating those requests.
In addition, the company must pay $20,000 to the Massachusetts Fair Housing Center and an additional $5,000 to the state.
Asked to comment, the company's public relations firm sent a statement that did not address the allegations or the settlement.
"For 45 years, Peabody Properties has been committed to fair housing across our managed communities," the statement read. "It’s the principle that has guided us throughout our company’s history. All Peabody employees participate in comprehensive training to ensure that every team member exemplifies our mission to 'put the home in housing' in an equitable, inclusive manner."
