The comment was exaggerated.

If you are caught, you get a big fine, 150$-ish and if you pay it nothing will change.

However, if you get caught again or don’t pay the fine, it’s not a misdemeanor, it’s a felony. You will be caught at the Schengen border and flagged as a fugitive and get a Schengen ban. Or if you are a CH or EU resident you will be summoned by the court for a court case and you could go to jail. Most likely you’ll get a 1000$+ fine.

The housing comes in when you try to rent a new place and the landlord asks „are you a felon?“ and you can’t say no anymore.