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The case should serve as a reminder to all North Carolinians of their legal rights and obligations under the FHA. This lawsuit, brought under the Fair Housing Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504, and state law, challenged the Dallas Housing Authority's cancellation of project-based housing subsidies that would have permitted adults with disabilities to live in integrated homes in the community. Mass. The complaint alleges that defendants, the City of El Paso and its agents, engaged in a pattern or practice of violating Section 3958 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by repossessing at least 176 vehicles owned by protected servicemembers without the required court orders. When Black families and other families of color have limited access to wealth-building through homeownership, this means they also have limited access to educational opportunities, quality health care, and more.. Just enter your email below and we'll keep you posted when we have new articles. 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. By submitting your e-mail address, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy (http://www.legalaidnc.org/privacy). WASHINGTON, DC Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and 20 fair housing organizations throughout the country reached a landmark $53 million agreement with Fannie Mae (formally known as the Federal National Mortgage Association). These are things that are typically considered to be reasonable requirements. The court ordered defendant to pay the aggrieved persons, a married couple, $37,431 in compensatory damages, entered an injunction requiring the defendant to promptly respond to requests for accommodations for assistance animals, maintain records, and follow the policies it adopted after the jury verdict for the next three years, and assessed a civil penalty of $1. The official versions of court documents are the versions available from the court. This is just one of the many examples of how discrimination can occur when it comes to housing: being told that exclusive terms and rules conditions apply, only being permitted to live in a specific building (or specific part of the building) of a rental complex, or being singled out and prohibited to use clubhouse amenities are all also possibilities for discrimination. Morgan Stanley profited by bundling and selling those loans to investors, allegedly knowing borrowers were likely to default. ), United States v. Vernon C. Morgan (D. Colo.), United States v. City National Bank (C.D. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced a settlement agreement today to resolve a fair housing lawsuit that will expand housing opportunities for consumers in communities of color in . Discrimination Isn't Always Obvious - Example #1: Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The following is a list of the fair housing organizations that joined NFHA as plaintiffs in this case against Fannie Mae: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants supported the investigation into potential disparities in the maintenance and marketing of REO properties. By submitting your e-mail address, you also acknowledge that the information you provide will be transferred to MailChimp for processing in accordance with their Privacy Policy and Terms (https://mailchimp.com/legal). Shut off the tenants utilities, except as specifically provided for in your jurisdictions eviction laws. Visit Website. Retaliate. The Fair Housing Act also applies to purchasing a home as well, as some people may have difficulties buying a specific home because they are potentially being discriminated against. This nationwide homeownership initiative is led by the National Fair Housing Alliance. You are are free to republish it so long as you do the following: Copy and paste the following into your page to republish: paid on average $2,937 more in broker fees, Blight Reduction Grant Adjustment program, how the government betrayed a landmark civil rights law, Alaska Says Its Now Legal in Some Instances to Discriminate Against LGBTQ Individuals, A Christian Health Nonprofit Saddled Thousands With Debt as It Built a Family Empire Including a Pot Farm, a Bank and an Airline. United States v. C&F Mortgage Corporation. Mo.). The plaintiffs allege that SafeRent scores result in an unlawful disparate impact against Black and Hispanic rental applicants because the underlying algorithm relies on certain factors that disproportionately disadvantage Black and Hispanic applicants, such as credit history and non-tenancy related debts, while failing to consider one highly-relevant factor, that the use of housing vouchers funded by HUD makes such tenants more likely to pay their rents. *Funding subject to approval. Pa.). United Road Towing, Inc. d/b/a UR Vehicle Management Solutions and Rod Robertson Enterprises, Inc. are also named as defendants in the case. Contact the Webmaster to submit comments. Keep careful records of any problematic behaviors exhibited by all tenants. The complaint alleges that the defendants discriminated on the basis of familial status by adopting and enforcing policies and practices that prohibited children from using the community pool without adult supervision. 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. (N.D. Litigation Log - Fair Housing Center of Southeast & Mid Michigan Litigation Log It is understood that in all "settled" cases reported on this site, the defendant, unless otherwise noted, denies the allegations of discrimination made by the plaintiff, and the parties have agreed to resolve the case prior to a trial on the merits. The complaint alleges that City National Bank (City National), violated the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) and the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by engaging in unlawful redlining in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Division (Los Angeles County) by avoiding providing credit services to majority-Black and Hispanic neighborhoods because of the race, color, and national origin of the people living in those neighborhoods. It's fair to be angry and scaredthe direct federal fines for violations of the Fair Housing Act are usually $17,000 per violation; total settlements on race, familial status, age and sex discrimination cases often reach well into the six figuresbut those overwhelming emotions are why you should go straight to your lawyer. The Department of Justice (DOJ) and Ashland Housing Authority (AHA) settled a Fair Housing Act (FHA) discrimination lawsuit on Tuesday. 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. United States v. Countrywide Corporation, Countrywide Home Loans and Countrywide Bank. If youre already a member, login to access this page. The settlement guarantees that Washington . NFHA said it will invest the vast majority of the settlement directly back into the communities that were harmed. Under the order, the defendants will spend $950,000 and commit to injunctive relief, including: a settlement fund of $670,000 to compensate individuals harmed by the program; the payment of $100,000 in civil penalties; affirmative marketing to promote fair housing in Hesperia; partnerships with community-based organizations; notifications to The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement to resolve a lawsuit alleging that landlord Darrell Jones of Muskegon, Michigan, violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing female tenants. The case centers on Detroit, where from 2004 to 2006, African Americans were 70 percent more likely to receive a subprime loan than white borrowers with the same income and credit background. For example, if their rental application was turned down for a questionable or unclear reason, its possible that the applicant was discriminated against. vs. Read about []. Its fair to be angry and scaredthe direct federal fines for violations of the Fair Housing Act are usually $17,000 per violation; total settlements on race, familial status, age and sex discrimination cases often reach well into the six figuresbut those overwhelming emotions are why you should go straight to your lawyer. 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. 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. The Road Home program was supposed to provide storm victims with funding to rebuild their homes, but based their compensation on their houses original value rather than the cost of damage. Brockbk JV LLC, Dallas Redevelopment Equities LLC, Alden Short, Inc., and Sam Matalone are also named as defendants in the case. vs. Cyprexx Services NFHA et al. 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. (W.D. (W.D. Cal.). Thats one in four people in the nation. Countrywide has not admitted to any discriminatory practice. The agents steered the white home seekers away from interracial neighborhoods in Jackson, which is majority African American, and into majority white areas. By submitting your e-mail address, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our Privacy Policy (http://www.legalaidnc.org/privacy). Oral arguments are scheduled to be heard in March. To view this content you must be a paying member. This case established that the marketing and maintenance of Real Estate Owned properties is covered under the Fair Housing Act, in line with broad interpretation of the civil rights law, said Keenya Robertson, President & CEO of Housing Opportunities Project for Excellence, (HOPE), Inc. Moreover, this case encourages those who own an inventory of foreclosed homes to continually review their policies and monitor the way they preserve the value and desirability of the homes in every community in which they are located.. The National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA)is the countrys only national civil rights organization dedicated solely to eliminating all forms of housing and lending discrimination and ensuring equal opportunities for all people. In addition, the Consent Order requires that Defendants issue confirmation to Sarah Jamison that she can live with her emotional support cat as a reasonable accommodation while she remains a tenant at the property. 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. Investigation After a formal complaint is filed, we investigate the allegations. The complaint alleges that the defendants discriminated on the basis of disability in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by refusing to allow the complainant to live with her assistance animal. On February 2, 2023, the United States filed a complaint in United States v. City of El Paso, Texas, et al. Heres an overview of key cases from the foreclosure crisis. In, According to the CDC there are 61 million Americans with disabilities. Md. Mich.), the private companion case to United States v. City of Troy, Michigan (E.D. Develop a written tenant selection plan and stick to it. While its not ideal to rush the lawsuit process, there is another option that may be available to you: pre-settlement funding. (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. If the complainant is a tenant or someone you know, your first instinct may be to go give them a piece of your mind (over email, phone, or even in person). The materials contained on this website are for information and education purposes only and do not constitute legal advice. The jury also found that the Defendant had violated the Fair Housing Act rights of three persons a married couple who owned a unit and another woman who was also a unit owner - whose requests for accommodations for assistance animals were denied or unreasonably delayed. According to a 2019 study cited by the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, nearly 8 in 10 formerly incarcerated individuals reported ineligibility or denial of housing because of their or a loved ones conviction history. Its okay to put our stories on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. Nobody should ever be discriminated against when it comes to finding a home, but alas, this does happen. 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. But thats the last thing you should do. An official website of the United States government. Fannie Mae has reached a $53 million settlement in a nearly six-year-old complaint filed by the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and a coalition of local fair housing organizations that accused the enterprise of unequal . As housing officials and civil rights advocates keep their eye on the high court, weve rounded up seven key disparate impact cases you should know about. Report Housing Discrimination lorem ipsum placeholder file a report. The author and publisher of this press release are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Mass. According to lending data, African-American customers in the Chicago area paid on average $2,937 more in broker feesthan similarly situated white customers. Under the FHA, the Department of Justice may bring lawsuits where there is reason to believe that a person or entity is engaged in a "pattern or practice" of discrimination or where a denial of rights to a group of persons raises an issue of general public importance. Additional protection may also be available in other situations, too. 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. To become a member, visit our Members page! The lawsuit was originally brought against Redfin in October 2020 by NFHA and nine other fair housing organizations alleging redlining in certain ZIP codes. v.Bank of America NFHA et al. The fair housing groups are represented by noted civil rights law firms Relman Colfax PLLC and Dane Law LLC. Contact the plaintiff or plaintiffs attorney yourself (in person, over the phone, or via text or email) without your attorney present. Read the full Press Release and Agreement here. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Federal Government. There is normally a deadline by which you must respond, or the plaintiffs attorney may be able to enter a request for a default judgment against you. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS If you have a website, make it available online. The Housing and Civil Enforcement Section of the Civil Rights Division is responsible for the Department'senforcement of the Fair Housing Act (FHA), along with the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), the land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Housing Rights subpart of the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 (VAWA 2022). However, if you do feel like something is not quite right, it may be worth taking the next step. The jury found that the Defendant had engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination against persons with disabilities and had denied rights protected by the Fair Housing Act to a group of such persons. We won't share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.