A Black couple is suing after what should have been a routine apartment showing turned into an alleged case of housing discrimination.
Lisa Renee Olaso and her fiancé, Cyril Christopher, were relocating from Delaware to New York when they arranged to view a rental property in Queens.
As the couple got out of their car for the showing, Olaso received a text message from the real estate agent that read, “Ugh. They are Black.”
According to the lawsuit, the message was apparently meant for the property owner but was accidentally sent directly to Olaso.
The couple says they immediately confronted the agent.
Olaso claims the broker apologized but then attempted to explain herself by saying previous Black tenants had caused problems.
The couple ultimately decided not to continue with the showing.
They have now filed a housing discrimination lawsuit against the agent, Douglas Elliman and the property owners, alleging violations of federal, state and New York City fair housing protections.
Douglas Elliman says it has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and that the agent is no longer associated with the company.
The allegations have sparked renewed conversations about housing discrimination and how race can still affect something as basic as finding a place to live.
Imagine driving hours to look at a home and receiving that message before you even make it through the front door.