Attorney General Martha Coakley Sues Quincy Landlord For Housing Discrimination

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

August 07, 2008

Contact: Amie Breton
(617) 727-2543


QUINCY–Today, Attorney General Martha Coakley’s Office filed a housing discrimination complaint against Inna Bogina, the owner of a three-bedroom rental property in Quincy, and her daughter Tatiana Bogina, the rental agent for the property. The complaint, filed in Norfolk Superior Court, alleges that the Boginas violated state antidiscrimination laws by refusing to rent to recipients of housing subsidies and a family with children.

We are facing critical housing needs in the Commonwealth and the strain on families with children and those needing rental or transitional housing assistance is particularly great,” said Attorney General Coakley “Realtors, brokers and landlords in Massachusetts should understand that discrimination against families with children and those who hold housing assistance subsidies is illegal and we will seek to hold accountable those who break the law.”

According to the complaint, the Boginas twice refused to rent the Quincy property to women who held Section 8 federal housing subsidies, including a family with three children. The complaint alleges that prior to the Boginas' discriminatory refusal to rent to the victim, another woman had responded to an advertisement on Craigslist to rent the property, but was later turned down by the Boginas because she was a subsidy holder. The complaint further alleges that the current tenant informed the victim that Tatiana Bogina told him she did not want to deal with "those kinds of people" and further stated that her family did not want to rent to people with children because they feared the children would "wreck the place."

On February 11, 2008 the Boginas signed a new lease for the apartment with a new tenant who was not the recipient of a Section 8 federal housing subsidy and who did not reside with any children.

Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to discriminate against housing applicants because they receive public assistance. It is also illegal to discriminate against individuals who intend to reside with children.

The lawsuit seeks an order prohibiting the defendants from engaging in housing discrimination, compensatory and punitive damages on behalf of the victims, and attorneys’ fees and costs.

This matter is being handled by Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Miller of Attorney General Coakley’s Civil Rights Division.