The largest apartment landlord in the country—with dozens of properties across New Jersey—is facing accusations of widespread housing discrimination.
The New York Times reports that Greystar, which manages more than a million rental units nationwide, has been accused of systematically refusing to accept Section 8 housing vouchers in states where doing so is illegal, according to complaints filed Monday with state agencies and attorneys general by the watchdog group Housing Rights Initiative.
Trained “testers” posing as prospective tenants called Greystar offices around the country starting in October, asking whether they could use housing vouchers to help pay rent. According to the group, Greystar employees repeatedly said vouchers would not be accepted or imposed illegal conditions on their use. Housing Rights Initiative documented more than 100 such violations across Maryland, Hawaii, New Jersey, Michigan, California, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.
Aaron Carr, the Executive Director of Housing Rights Initiative, told The Times that alleged civil rights violations are “at a scale unlike anything our organization has ever seen.”
The Times report did not specify which New Jersey properties were among those investigated. But Greystar’s presence in the state is substantial—the company currently lists more than 50 rental properties across New Jersey, concentrated heavily in Hudson County towns like Hoboken, Jersey City, Weehawken, and West New York, along with buildings in Morristown, Westfield, Fort Lee, and beyond.
In a statement, Greystar said it provides fair housing training to its employees and expects full compliance with applicable laws. “Greystar remains committed to fair housing practices in everything we do,” the company said.
Section 8 vouchers help low-income families, veterans, and people with disabilities cover rent, with tenants paying a portion of their income and the voucher covering the rest. While federal law makes landlord participation in the program voluntary, numerous states—including New Jersey—prohibit landlords from refusing tenants based on their use of a housing voucher.
Brian Corman, an attorney representing Housing Rights Initiative, said Greystar’s scale makes the allegations especially significant. “This is not a paperwork issue,” Corman said. “Denying housing because the family intends to use a voucher has real consequences on where families can live, where children can go to school, and whether people can achieve housing stability.”
Vouchers typically expire after 120 days, meaning a rejected application can set families back significantly in an already competitive housing market. Carr noted that the buildings investigated were concentrated in high-demand markets with tight housing supply—a description that fits much of Greystar’s New Jersey footprint, particularly its waterfront properties in Hudson County.
New Jersey law says landlords can’t turn away a tenant over a housing voucher. Whether that’s actually happening at any of Greystar’s 50-plus properties in the state is a question worth watching.
The New Jersey Digest is a new jersey magazine that has chronicled daily life in the Garden State for over 10 years.