Press Releases
Jared Kushner’s Company Preparing to Evict At Least 56 New Jersey Tenants During Pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Government watchdog Accountable.US released a new analysis finding that Senior White House Advisor Jared Kushner’s residential real estate assets — including Westminster Management, an apartment subsidiary of Kushner Cos. and the only source of “employment assets and income” for Kushner — is preparing to evict tenants in at least 56 properties in New Jersey when federal eviction protections come to an end in January. It follows findings from the Washington Post showing Westminster Management “submitted hundreds of eviction filings in court against” Maryland tenants with past-due rent during the pandemic. Throwing out families during a health crisis is par for the course for the company known for “aggressive” eviction and debt collection tactics and notoriously poor living conditions in its Baltimore complexes.
Jared Kushner is the poster child for why the new Congress will need to immediately pass adequate rental assistance. Millions of Americans continue to face potential homelessness, and opportunist landlords like this Kushner family company are already filing the paperwork to kick them to the curb the moment it's legally permitted. The looming eviction crisis needs to be properly dealt with — not just delayed — as the pandemic’s economic repercussions will linger long past January. Mr. Kushner must have incredible powers of disassociation to offer so little leniency to tenants hurting in the Trump recession after companies he’s tied to have taken so much taxpayer aid during the crisis.”
Kyle Herrig, President of Accountable.US.
Kushner Cos.’ plans to profit off kicking struggling people out into the street during a pandemic and recession aren’t just callous and opportunist — they’re also hypocritical, as Kushner is tied to companies and organizations that have already reaped millions in government pandemic aid that meant for struggling small businesses. Ironically, Mr. Kushner recently opined about how politicians in Washington have “failed” U.S. inner cities “for a long time.”
CONGRESS NEEDS TO ACT ON ADEQUATE HOUSING RELIEF: The COVID-19 relief compromise bill passed last month only extended the eviction moratorium to Jan 31, 2021 and included $25B in emergency rental assistance. Accountable.US shares the view of the National Low-Income Housing Coalition this one-month extension will certainly not outlast the pandemic and recession, and that $25B obviously does not meet the magnitude of the estimated $70 billion in back rent coming due. While it does provide immediate relief for families that were worrying about homelessness at the end of the month, there will be zero time to waste for the new Congress to pass more adequate measures to stave off the looming eviction crisis that landlords like Jared Kushner’s family are fully prepared to initiate. Despite the stimulus, one estimate shows nearly 19 million people in approximately 8 million households could still be facing eviction in just about one month’s time.
###
