Spring 2005 Volume 3, Issue 3 Fair Housing News
In this issue: HUD Celebrates Fair Housing Month
• HUD Celebrates Fair Housing Month Each April, HUD commemorates the passage of the Fair Housing Act and
• HUD, Housing celebrates the strides it has made in Authority of the furthering this landmark civil-rights law. City of Las Vegas Sign The 2005 Fair Housing Month theme, Agreement to "Fostering Secure and Diverse Assist Persons with Disabilities Communities,” emphasizes the nation’s commitment to creating safe communities
• HUD Charges and underscores the role of the Fair Illinois Real Housing Act in making sure that Estate Broker communities are open to all persons and Zellpac, regardless of race, color, religion, national Inc., with origin, sex, disability, or familial status Violation of Fair (presence of children under 18). Housing Act
This month, HUD will participate in events • Assistant Secretary throughout the country to promote the Addresses Fair right to equal housing opportunity. Fair Housing Housing Month events will augment the Conference, activities that HUD and its partners carry Realtor Annual out throughout the year and encourage Meeting new collaborations between government agencies, fair housing organizations, • Assistant population. HUD has recently partnered housing providers, and community with such groups in order to conduct Secretary Tours groups. These partnerships will enable Tucson Colonia, targeted fair housing education and HUD to better assist those who suffered Discusses outreach. As a result, in FY2004, the housing discrimination and improve its Challenges number of housing discrimination methods for educating the public on their Facing Area complaints filed by Hispanics increased rights and responsibilities. by 31 percent. • Fair Housing Month Award Results of these partnerships can already Visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing for Recipients be seen in the work HUD has done with information on Fair Housing Month
organizations that serve the Hispanic activities.
HUD, Housing Authority of the City of Las Vegas Sign Agreement Our Mission to Assist Persons with Disabilities
To create equal On January 6, 2005, HUD announced the compliance with Section 504 of the housing opportunities Housing Authority of the City of Las Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Title II of the for all persons in Vegas (HACLV) had signed a Voluntary Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, America by Compliance Agreement (VCA) committing and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of administering laws that to provide over 100 fully-accessible public 1964. prohibit discrimination housing units for residents with disabilities in housing on the among other things. Together, these laws make it illegal to basis of race, color, discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national national origin, or disability and contain The agreement stems from a HUD review origin, disability, and of HACLV conducted in January 2004 familial status. Continued on page 3 where HUD assessed HACLV's 1 Fair Housing News
HUD Charges Illinois Real Estate Broker and Zellpac, Inc., with Violation of Fair Housing Act
In January 2005, HUD charged Guy measured the bathroom doorway to Emery to allay his fears. Emery Emery, an Illinois real estate broker, ensure his mother’s wheelchair stated that because she is in a and apartme nt owners, Zellpac Inc., would fit. Satisfied with the wheelchair, it would be a liability for with violating the Fair Housing Act apartment configuration, Norton him. Ms. Norton asked Emery if he by refusing to rent an apartment to arranged for his hospitalized mother was aware of the federal and state Deborah No rton because she uses to fill out the application, and he laws prohibiting him from a whe elchair. then submitted the application with a discriminating based on her $100 check. disability, and Emery replied that he HUD’s investi gation showed that did not care. Christophe r Norton, Ms. Norton’s Several hours after receiving the son, saw a newspaper completed application and the HUD concluded that Emery’s refusal advertisement for an apartment at check, Emery called Mr. Norton and to rent to Ms. Norton because of her disability and statement that she 908-810 N. Bentley Street in Marion, informed him he could not rent the Illinois. When inquiring about the apartment to Norton’s mother would be a liability constituted apartment availability, Norton told because of the wheelchair. Emery unlawful discrimination. As a result, Emery he wa s looking for an went on to explain that the HUD charged Guy Emery and apartment for his mother who uses apartment faces north and with the Zellpac Inc., with violating the Fair a wheelchair. snow and ice, he felt Norton’s Housing Act. On January 18, 2005, the respondents elected to pursue mother might fall and that she would not have access to the apartment the case in federal court. This case Norton arran ged to tour the apartment with Emery in early because of the snow. is now under the jurisdiction of the December. While, viewing the Department of Justice. apartment, Norton borrowed Upon hearing about Emery’s Emery’s tape measure and concerns, Deborah Norton called
Assistant Secretary Addresses Fair Housing Conference, Realtor Annual Meeting
Fair Housing Council of San discrimination in 20 percent of Carolyn Peoples gave a keynote Diego residential sales transactions. address to an audience of over 300 members. On February 17, 2005, Assistant The purpose of the conference was Secretary Carolyn Peoples to provide fair housing training to Assistant Secretary Peoples addressed attendees of the Fair attorneys, affordable housing described a recent HUD study, Housing Laws and Litigation professionals, and those involved in which found that the rate of sales Conference held by the Fair providing housing for Native discrimination against African Housing Council of San Diego. Americans. The conference covered Americans in the state of New York legal topics such as methods of was 23 percent, a rate higher than Assistant Secretary Peoples enforcement, establishing damages the national average. She called discussed HUD data on the public in fair housing cases, and new fair attention to the problem of steering, reporting of housing discrimination housing case law. Fair housing was a practice where real estate agents in San Diego and the state of also addressed in workshops on direct clients to certain areas based California. She focused on the advertising, applicant screening and on their race, national origin, or experiences of Hispanics and selection, accessible housing for other protected characteristic. The Asians and Pacific Islanders, persons with disabilities, and study showed an increase in the noting that a recent HUD study meeting the housing needs of rate that African Americans were found that the rate of discrimination Native Americans. steered toward neighborhoods with against Hispanics in the San Diego a higher concentration of minorities. rental market was 29 percent, Brooklyn Board of Realtors exceeding the national average. A The speech also described HUD fair similar HUD study found that At the annual meeting of the housing initiatives and how real Asians and Pacific Islanders in Brooklyn Board of Realtors, held on estate professionals and HUD can California experienced March 8, 2005, Assistant Secretary partner to promote fair housing. 2 Fair Housing News
Assistant Secretary Tours Tucson Colonia, Discusses Challenges Facing Area
Assistant Secretary Carolyn Nogales Highway Colonia, where Peoples wa s in Tucson, Arizona, on she talked with several residents January 25, 2005, to tour the Old and met with Pastor Juan Peralta, a Nogales High way Colonia, an area local minister who allows his church south of the city inhabited by more to be used as a meeting place for than 3,500 Hispanics, and while families living in the colonia. there participated in two community meetings about the housing needs After the tour, Assistant Secretary of residents of the colonia. Peoples met with members of a local fair housing coalition to talk Assistant Secretary Peoples first about the report, “The American met with community leaders on how Dream Lost, Foreclosures in Pima they can help residents of the Assistant Secretary Peoples County,” which examined Tucson- colonias. Joining Assistant discusses issues facing residents of area lenders with more than 25 Secretary Pe oples in the discussion the Old Nogales Highway Colonia foreclosures in 2002 and found that with Pastor Peralta were repres entatives of Pima Hispanic homeowners living in County Dis trict 2, Pima County predominantly white neighborhoods Community Development and were twice as likely to be foreclosed Neighborhood Conservation the provision of programs in the colonia, and identify potential on than Hispanics living in largely Department, Southwest Fair Hispanic neighborhoods. Housing Cou ncil (SFHC), and other funding for projects and services. local non-prof it organizations. The group also focused on SFHC’s The group recommended strategies Among the subjects discussed was plans for using a $218,535 grant to for reducing foreclosures in the a resolution Pima County recently provide fair housing investigation area, including requiring lenders to adopted that calls for identifying services and education and provide more information on loan infrastructure needs in the colonia outreach activities in the colonia, terms and conditions and investigating abuses in contract-for- and developi ng a feasible strategy establish an on-site clinic, where and timeline for addressing those caseworkers will be available to deed arrangements. needs. The meeting also addressed discuss fair housing issues, and how the cou nty will fulfill its pledge conduct 200 matched-pair housing Assistant Secretary Peoples to conduct an analysis of existing discrimination tests. previously toured the Old Nogales programs in the community, identify Highway Colonia in April 2003 at the human service organizations that Following the meeting, Assistant invitation of SFHC to discuss how Secretary Peoples toured the Old HUD could help colonia residents. could becom e key collaborators in
Las Vegas, continued from page 1 • Develop a plan to make its This agreement also requires administrative offices fully HACLV to develop a plan to ensure requirements regarding accessibility accessible to persons with that individuals with limited English for persons with disabilities. disabilities; proficiency have meaningful access • Develop procedures to to HACLV's housing opportunities. The agreem ent resolves several accommodate applicants and potential civil rights concerns that residents with disabilities so that Failure to comply with this HUD uncove red during its review. they have an equal opportunity agreement could lead to loss of HACLV will make periodic reports to to participate in their programs; federal funding and possible court HUD. At the same time, HUD will do • Adopt procedures to action by the Department of Justice. its own monitoring for compliance. communicate with individuals with hearing, visual or cognitive Since 2001, HUD has executed disabilities; Voluntary Compliance Agreements Under the terms of the agreement, HACLV will: • Ensure that residents with with three other major public disabilities occupy housing units housing authorities: Boston that meet their disability-related Housing Authority, District of • Make 104 housing units fully- needs; and Columbia Housing Authority, and accessible to persons with • Provide fair housing training for the Puerto Rico Public Housing mobility impairments; current and new employees. Administration. 3 HUD Office of Fair Fair Housing Month Award Recipients Housing and Equal SAMUEL J. SIMMONS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT Opportunity Christopher Kui, Executive Director, Asian Americans for Equality
451 7th Street, SW Christopher Kui, Executive Director of Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE) in Washington, DC New York, began working with AAFE in 1976 and became executive director in 20410 1992. AAFE advocates for social justice and equal opportunity in addition to developing affordable housing and providing assistance to the Asian immigrant If you feel y our housing community in New York City with accessing social services, starting small businesses, and understanding the home buying process. As executive rights have been violated, you can file a fair housing director, Mr. Kui has raised over $50 million to build 500 units of housing for complaint by: low-income individuals.
Calling: 1-800-669-9777 PIONEER AWARD RECIPIENT TTY: 1-800-927-9275 Nancy Kenyon, Executive Director, Fair Housing of Marin
OR Nancy Kenyon, Executive Director of Fair Housing of Marin in California, is recognized for her pioneering work in the area of racial discrimination in senior Complete an online form at: housing facilities. Ms. Kenyon designed and conducted an audit of local residential care facilities, which found evidence of differential treatment favoring www.hud.go v/fairhousing white testers in 60 percent of the sites tested. Several organizations have conducted similar surveys as a result of this study.
COURAGE AWARD RECIPIENT Stacy Peardon, Real Estate Agent, St. Claire Shores, Michigan
Stacy Peardon, a real estate agent in St. Claire Shores, Michigan, demonstrated exceptional courage when three white men threatened to “get her” for showing homes in a predominantly white community to her African American clients. Ms. Peardon reported the incident to the Fair Housing Center of Metropolitan Detroit, who referred the case to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. One of the men was criminally charged and sentenced to one year of home confinement and one year of probation. 4
HUD OFFICE OF FAIR HOUSING AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
451 7th Street, SW Washington, DC 20410