Two Communities in the Bronx, Edgewater Park & Silver Beach Gardens, Accused of Racial Discrimination

Are there whites only communities in the New York City? Two communities in the Bronx, Edgewater Park and Silver Beach Gardens, have been sued by Fair Housing Justice Center for racial discrimination.

When I think of the Bronx, New York, I don't exactly think "white only" would apply, considering that the borough is a melting pot of many ethnic backgrounds. Well, it turns out I was wrong. The Fair Housing Justice Center is suing Edgewater Park and nearby Silver Beach Gardens, two picturesque developments at the edge of the Long Island Sound in the Bronx, for racial discrimination. One of its longtime residents, Realtor Amelia Lewis, has also filed a lawsuit. According to the NY Times, the suit, which was filed in United States District Court in Manhattan, came from an investigation the housing group conducted in September and October 2009, investigators sent fake couples to try to buy homes in the community: a white pair received a warm welcome, but when a black couple inquired they were immediately asked for references and then told by Lewis “there’s no way you’re going to get in there." Both "test" couples were employees of the housing group and said they were looking for homes priced below $300,000.

Sadly, this practice occurs everyday in some pockets of the country. It was shocking to see that it is occurring in the Bronx. Recent statistics reveal that blacks account for 35% of homeowners in the Bronx, but less than one percent of the 1,100 homes in Edgewater Park and Silver Beach Gardens are owned by blacks.  Both communities are located just north of the Throgs Neck Bridge and are cooperatives -- residents own their homes but the land is owned collectively.

To read the entire article, CLICK HERE.