Dechert Partners With Public Interest Law Center and Housing Equality Center of PA in Fair Housing Act Case

Suit alleges large PA landlord racially discriminates against housing choice voucher holders in majority white neighborhoods

On December 8, the Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania (HEC), the nation’s oldest fair housing organization, filed suit against ProManaged Inc.—a Philadelphia landlord and property management company with at least 77 properties—and related individuals and entities in federal court, claiming that their treatment of Housing Choice Voucher holders violates the Fair Housing Act’s ban on disparate treatment based on race and has a disproportionate discriminatory impact on Black renters.

Over six months in 2021, HEC sent fair housing testers, posing as prospective renters, to ask about Philadelphia properties where ProManaged had advertised that they would not accept vouchers. Each time, testers who said they used rental assistance were either denied or ignored, while a tester who said they did not use rental assistance was given instructions to fill out an application. All of the units were affordable using the tester’s housing choice voucher.

A 2018 study from the Urban Institute found that 67 percent of landlords in Philadelphia refuse to accept vouchers—and this rejection rate rises to 83 percent in low-poverty neighborhoods.

In Philadelphia, 84 percent of voucher holders are Black, compared to 44 percent of renters in the city as a whole. Meanwhile, only 9 percent of voucher holders are white, compared to 39 percent of renters in the city as a whole. HEC found that ProManaged rejects voucher holders in predominately white and integrated neighborhoods, while advertising that Section 8 is accepted only in a limited number of units in vast-majority Black neighborhoods.

“Philadelphians who use housing choice vouchers face steep barriers in their search for safe and affordable housing for themselves and their families,” said Steve Bizar, Partner at Dechert and Co-Chair of the firm’s global antitrust/competition practice. “Dechert has a long-standing tradition of pro bono service, and we are proud to partner with the Public Interest Law Center again to protect vulnerable citizens of Philadelphia in this fair housing case.”

In addition to Bizar, the Dechert pro bono litigation team on this matter included associates Thomas Miller and David Costigan.

Dechert is committed to providing pro bono legal services to individuals and organizations who cannot otherwise afford legal counsel. This commitment exists in all of Dechert’s 21 offices in the United States and internationally. Each year, the firm handles hundreds of pro bono matters, covering a broad range of issues, including civil rights, international human rights, child advocacy, veterans, prisoner civil rights, landlord tenant, access to public benefits, immigration, criminal law and the representation of nonprofits, small businesses and social enterprises. This year, Dechert was again ranked by The American Lawyer among the ten top firms for pro bono both in the United States and internationally.

About Dechert

Dechert is a leading global law firm with 21 offices around the world. The firm advises on matters and transactions of the greatest complexity, bringing energy, creativity and efficient management of legal issues to deliver commercial and practical advice for clients.