The Fair Housing Project ofLegal Aid of North Carolinaworks to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement. Record the reason for rejecting each applicant. Individuals can also contact the U.S. Attorney's Office Civil Rights Hotline at (855) 281-3339. The Fair Housing Act, for example, makes it illegal to "make, print, or publish, or cause to be made, printed, or published any notice, statement, or advertisement" that would limit housing options for protected groups. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Ashland Housing Authority (AHA) settled a Fair Housing Act (FHA) discrimination lawsuit on Tuesday. If youre already a member, login to access this page. Read the full Press Release and Agreement here. Last week, the Obama administration formalized the legal standard it has used to enforce fair housing laws and hold banks accountable for their role in a foreclosure crisis that hit black and Latino homeowners the hardest. The Defendants will pay The Fortune Society $1,187,500 in order to resolve the case. Keep up-to-date with the latest news and housing related activism. On October 8, 2021, HUD announced a Conciliation Agreement/Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the owners of a HUD-subsidized community in Fairhope, Alabama, resolving allegations that the owners policy prohibiting visitors under the age of 12 due to COVID-19 was discriminatory. Specifically, the complaint alleged that the Defendants failed to grant a reasonable accommodation to its breed restriction policy to allow a woman with PTSD to visit her mother at the mobile home community with her assistance animal and that the Defendants interfered with the Complainants fair housing rights by banning the daughter and evicting the mother from the community. The ACLU, along with the National Consumer Law Center and the law firm of Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, filed a lawsuit in October against Morgan Stanley claiming the financial services firm encouraged lenders to push high-risk mortgage loans on African-American borrowers. Fair Housing Project P.O. In 2011, HUD agreed to pay roughly $62 million under a new Blight Reduction Grant Adjustment program. Contact the Webmaster to submit comments. Cali. Attempt to justify your actions to housing investigators, except through your attorney. Mo. If an applicant does not meet these requirements, thats one thing. If you later have to evict because of these issues, and your former tenants accuse you of unlawful discrimination, youll be glad you kept these records. The original complaint was filed on July 23, 2021. For example, some people may constantly endure harassment from their landlords because of their gender or race. The court also issued a memorandum opinion explaining its rulings. To view this content you must be a paying member. (1) The complaints and settlement documents for the cases discussed in the text, as well as other cases handled by the Housing Section, can be found on the Housing Sections website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/caselist.php. The Company Agrees to Alter its Minimum Home Price Policy Media Contact: Media@KAHConsultingGroup.com WASHINGTON, DC - April 29, 2022 - Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced a settlement agreement to resolve a fair housing lawsuit that will expand housing opportunities for consumers in communities of color in major cities throughout the United States. You cant sell our material separately or syndicate it. Contact the Webmaster to submit comments. *Funding subject to approval. ), United States v. Premiere Holdings, Inc. (D. Nev.), United States v. City of El Paso, Texas, et al. Visit Website. The plaintiffs will manage and disburse the settlement funds, providing much-needed grants, including down-payment assistance for first-generation homebuyers and renovations for homes that languished in foreclosure. Waste time crafting your public statement. (617) 829-9570 On July 9, 2021, the United States filed the Fair Housing Act complaint and proposed consent order. The case was referred to the Division after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received the complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. Read the full Press Release and Agreement here. The consent order, was approved by the court and requires City National to invest at least $29.5 million in a loan subsidy fund for residents of majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Los Angeles County; invest $750,000 for development of community partnerships to provide services that increase access to residential mortgage credit in those neighborhoods; invest $500,000 for advertising and outreach in those neighborhoods; and invest $500,000 for consumer financial education.Press Release (1/12/2023)Comunicado de prensa (12 01 2023)Remarks of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke (1/12/2023)Declaracin de AAG Clarke (12 01 2023), On January 9, 2023, the United States filed a Statement of Interest in Louis et al. At this point in the process, there is no way to avoid how time-consuming, costly, and stressful its going to be. Provide each applicant with a written notice explaining that you intend to comply with all applicable fair housing laws, that you do not discriminate against anyone on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, family status, national origin, disability or any other protected category in your jurisdiction. The Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana and fair housing organizations in six different states announced a settlement has been reached in a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Clover Group. On January 25, 2023, the court entered a final judgment on a June 10, 2022 jury verdict in favor of the United States in United States v. Dorchester Owners Association ("DOA") (E.D. Investigating Americas racial divide in education, housing and beyond. Rental and Sales Discrimination based on Race, Color, National Origin, Familial Status and Religion: On September 15, 2021, the court entered a consent order in United States v. Hideaway Village Community Management Association, et al. NFHA and the plaintiff fair housing organizations will use over $35 million of the settlement to promote homeownership, neighborhood stabilization, access to credit, property rehabilitation, and residential development in the 39 metropolitan areas at issue in the case. In the case involving SunTrust, the story has been updated to include loan officers as well as brokers. Investigation After a formal complaint is filed, we investigate the allegations. Purpose, Process, and Monitoring Framework (PPM), Discrimination Against the Deaf in Senior Living Facilities, 2 and 2.5 times more likely to be foreclosed, Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California, Fair Housing Center of the Greater Palm Beaches, Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia. Elm York of East Haven, NY; Madison York Assisted Living Community of Flushing, NY; Madison York Rego Park in Rego Park, NY; and Village Housing Development Fund of New York, NY, (also known as VillageCare) reached a settlement subject to court approval with the Fair Housing Justice Center, a Queens, NY-based nonprofit civil rights organization. The complaint, which was filed on February 2, 2023, alleged that the owners and managers of an apartment building in Las Vegas, Nevada violated the Act by refusing to grant a reasonable accommodation to a resident with an assistance animal (a pit bull), and by threatening to enforce the terms of the lease if the dog was present on the property. In addition to damages, the Defendants must comply with the Fair Housing Act, adopt a reasonable accommodation policy, publicize the policy in applications, leases, tenant renewal and the rental office, provide training for its employees, and comply with other equitable terms. v. INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES PROJECT, INC., ET AL. For example, if their rental application was turned down for a questionable or unclear reason, its possible that the applicant was discriminated against. As one of the most important fair housing lawsuits of the past decade, Thompson sought to eradicate the legacy of racially segregated public housing in Baltimore, Maryland, the hometown of Thurgood Marshall, LDF's first Director-Counsel. We won't share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time. According to the laws of the Fair Housing Act, the following types of discrimination when it comes to housing decisions and certain types of activities is illegal: Disabilities Ethnic background Race Gender Family status Religion Pa.). It could happen to even the most careful landlord or any property manager: everythings going along just fine, and then, BOOM, you receive a summons to court as a result of a housing discrimination-related lawsuit or enforcement action. An official website of the United States government. NFHA is a consortium of more than 200 private, nonprofit fair housing organizations and state and local civil rights agencies from throughout the United States. As part of HUD's Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), FHEO may refer a fair housing complaint to a state or local government agency for investigation. Voting and Election Resourceswww.vote.gov, The United States alleged in this case that the DOA discriminated on the basis of disability by failing to grant a reasonable accommodation to its no-pets policy to a HUD complainant, and alleged that DOA engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination and/or a denial of rights against a group of persons by adopting a discriminatory policy and refusing to grant reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who need assistance animals. 3 Center Plaza, Suite 400 The case was referred to the Division after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) received a complaint, conducted an investigation, and issued a charge of discrimination. (N.D. For example, those with certain disabilities who are discriminated against may also be protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Click here to learn more about overly broad criminal background screening policies and the requirements of subsidized housing providers. The case involved fair housing testing. Additional protection may also be available in other situations, too. Keep careful records of any problematic behaviors exhibited by all tenants. The United States alleged in this case that the DOA discriminated on the basis of disability by failing to grant a reasonable accommodation to its no-pets policy to a HUD complainant, and alleged that DOA engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination and/or a denial of rights against a group of persons by adopting a discriminatory policy and refusing to grant reasonable accommodations to persons with disabilities who need assistance animals.