Tuesday, November 2, 2010

How's This For Discrimination??

High Ranking gal tenant Margarita Lopez. (HT NY Post)



Only in New York.

Looks Like the East Village Is home to a female Only building, and at least one gay man isn't happy about it. From the NY Post:

"An East Village co-op that's home to one of the city's top housing officials has become a women-only building where dirt-cheap units are marketed only by word of mouth to the residents' pals, The Post has learned.

"I find it strange that no man has ever moved in," said Roberto Caballero, a former district leader in the neighborhood. "I would consider that a form of discrimination."

Caballero, who is openly gay, says he believes "lesbians are favored for apartments" -- as more than half of the building's 12 known female residents are gay."

Sour Grapes?? Probably, but there's more:

"Intended as low-income housing, the five-story tenement has become a destination for well-to-do lesbians, including Margarita Lopez, the $187,000-per-year Housing Authority board member and one-time city councilwoman, and Rosie Mendez, a current councilwoman.

Despite the area's gentrification, units sell for an astoundingly low $250 apiece plus capital improvement fees, with the caveat that the owner cannot sell for a profit, according to a contract with the city.

The contract requires that new tenants be found "through a communitywide outreach program that will be nondiscriminatory." But Lopez admitted, "The apartments are not marketed. It's through word of mouth to the people we know in the community."

No man is known to have applied or been turned away. Gender discrimination in housing is against the law, which Lopez has a hand in enforcing in her day job as commissioner of the city's 178,407 public-housing units.

Lopez declined to answer questions about the alleged discrimination, instead combatively asking back: "Are you implying that we have a problem with men?"

In a word: Yes!! As the saying goes, Birds of a feather stick together, especially "well-to-do lesbians".

Background Intel:

NY Post: No boys allowed: City officials among $250 'gal only' tenants

No comments:

Post a Comment