‘Worst landlord’ hit with Sect. 8 bias suit

ONE OF THE city’s most notorious landlords blatantly discriminates against Bronx tenants using Section 8 vouchers, a new lawsuit charges.

Rosalba Gonzalez, 49, alleges in a lawsuit to be filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday that landlord Ved Parkash (photo) declined to accept the federal subsidy for rent. It is illegal to discriminate against tenants using the vouchers, which is considered lawful income.

“Mr. Parkash shouldn’t discriminate against families and break the law just to serve his wallet,” said Gonzalez, who lives with two of her three sons in the building at Grand Concourse and E. Burnside Ave.

In June, Gonzalez, who was in Housing Court for failing to pay rent, thought she’d resolved the issue by securing a Section 8 voucher that would cover $853 of her $975 rent, the suit says. But Parkash allegedly declined the offer.

A subsequent sting arranged by the Fair Housing Justice Center caught Parkash employees rejecting callers posing as prospective tenants with Section 8 vouchers asking about other properties owned by Parkash, the suit says. In one sting in January, a Parkash employee simply replied “nah” when asked if the landlord accepted Section 8. “It's just preference… they don't accept any” Section 8 vouchers, the employee allegedly said, adding that “the owners” set the policy. In 2015, Parkash was No. 1 on Public Advocate Letitia James’ worst landlord list. Last year, he was No. 4. He owns four buildings with 257 units and 992 violations, according to the list. “This latest move by Ved Parkash, one of the most notorious landlords in our city, is nothing more than outright discrimination and an attempt to line his pockets,” James stated. In February, it emerged that another property Parkash owns is infested with rats carrying a potentially deadly disease, leptospirosis. Parkash did not return a phone call from the Daily News.