Fair Housing Archive - For Civil Minds

Archive for the ‘Fair Housing’ Category

Thank you.

Posted on May 3rd, 2013 by ERC

Rabbi Bruce Kahn presents an award to retiring Board President James G. Macdonell. Both men were founding members of the ERC.

Thank you for making the Equal Rights Center’s 30^th anniversary such a success. Thank you for being a valued partner. Thank you for being an advocate. Thank you for any role that you play in the daunting task of ending discrimination and advancing equality for ALL.

It is difficult to believe that a small local fair housing organization, founded by five inter-faith religious leaders from diverse backgrounds working out of a borrowed office, would become one of the most dynamic, multifaceted national civil rights organizations in the country.

Today, the ERC promotes equal opportunity in housing, employment, and access to public accommodations and government services while being an invaluable resource for many individuals, advocacy groups, government agencies, housing developers, architectural firms, restaurateurs, and other businesses and corporations. Reflecting the growth from the ERC’s founding,, our 30^th anniversary brought together individuals and entities from all facets of the ERC’s current efforts.

The ERC’s success and our work are impossible without our members and our partners. You serve as the eyes and ears of the ERC, letting us know when and where discrimination is happening and being part of the proactive efforts to promote equal opportunity. With your help, the ERC now has 6,000 members in all 50 states, more than 300 civil rights testers, and programs dedicated to making a national impact advancing fair housing, fair employment, disability rights, immigrant rights, and LGBT rights. (more…)

Categorized as Advocacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Partnerships and Training, Disability Rights, Fair Employment, Fair Housing, Government Services, Immigrant Rights, LBGT Rights, Source of Income, Testing
Tags: 30th Anniversary, equal rights center

Report Documents Obstacles for Latinos Seeking Housing in the Commonwealth of Virginia

Posted on April 29th, 2013 by ERC

When he signed the Fair Housing Act, President Johnson said one of the “promises of a century” was “fair housing for all [as] part of the American way of life.” Unfortunately, even 45 years after President Johnson’s pen stroke transformed the Fair Housing Act into law; equal opportunity in the rental housing market continues to elude segments of the American population.

On April 30, the conclusion of Fair Housing Month, the Equal Rights Center (ERC) and the national law firm Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP released a civil rights testing-based report revealing that Latinos seeking rental housing across the Commonwealth of Virginia experienced at least one form of adverse treatment as compared to their white counterparts in 55 percent of inquiries. The report, “Precaución: Obstacles for Latinos in the Virginia Rental Housing Market”, is based on a series of 106 tests.

The ERC conducted 106 matched-pair, in-person civil rights tests of rental properties in regions throughout the Commonwealth: the City of Fairfax, the City of Richmond and Henrico County, Loudoun County, Prince William County and Manassas, Roanoke County, Northwest Virginia (covering Augusta, Culpeper, Frederick, and Rockingham Counties), and Virginia Beach. In over half of tests (55 percent), the Latino tester received adverse, differential treatment as compared to the white tester in at least one respect, including: (more…)

Categorized as Advocacy, Civil Rights, Fair Housing
Tags: Commonwealth of Virginia, Drinker Biddle and Reath, equal rights center, fair housing, fair housing act, housing discrimination, immigration, Latino; civil rights testing; reports

What Is Fair Housing?

Posted on April 16th, 2013 by ERC

Fair housing is more than just a mix of complex jargon, laws, polices and regulations. Equal access to housing of one’s choice represents something much greater. Fair housing means being able to send children to good schools. It means access to transportation and employment opportunity. It means being able to take advantage of opportunities in a safe community.

The 12^th Annual D.C. Fair Housing Symposium will move beyond experts talking to experts in an effort to build awareness and encourage action on fair housing issues often ignored or misunderstood. This year, the day-long symposium aims to attract activists and others who work with communities targeted for discrimination but currently do not incorporate fair housing advocacy into their work. The conference will provide attendees with a better understanding of housing discrimination, and how it affects the lives of the people they serve.

Understanding fair housing and how housing discrimination affects individuals is especially important in today’s environment. The District is rapidly changing. Over the past decade, the population has soared past 600,000 for the first time in the city’s history. The racial makeup of the District has changed dramatically, with an influx of white residents where it had been predominantly African American. The cost of living is among the highest in the nation. Real estate developers and businesses have gravitated into historically low-income neighborhoods, impacting the affordability and local culture. Demographics are shifting quickly. (more…)

Categorized as Advocacy, Civil Rights, Fair Housing
Tags: 12th Annual D.C. Fair Housing Symposium, advocacy, department of housing and community development, equal rights center, fair housing, fair housing act, Mt. Vernon, office of human rights, Shaw

Corporate Partners in Equal Opportunity

Posted on March 8th, 2013 by ERC

By Victoria Lanteigne, Program Manager, Corporate Partnerships & Training

Twenty years ago, concepts like the triple bottom line, and corporate social responsibility were considered novel, but in today’s global marketplace these concepts are truly becoming standard. Many companies are taking the initiative to incorporate principles of corporate responsibility into their business practices. We at the Equal Rights Center (ERC) are witnessing this trend first-hand among our corporate partners, which include leaders in key industries, such as housing providers, hoteliers, restaurateurs, and retailers.

Through its Corporate Partnerships & Training Program, the ERC has engaged numerous partners, including NVR, Inc. (NVR), AvalonBay (AVB), Gables Residential, Camden Property Trust (CPT), The TJX Companies (TJX), Panera Bread Co. (PNRA), and Prudential PenFed Realty, Greystar Real Estate Partners. Collectively, the ERC’s partners employed more than 200,000 individuals and reported gross revenues of nearly $30 billion last year alone. In collaboration with our partners, the ERC works to demonstrate that focusing on equal opportunity is not only the right thing to do, it’s also smart business. (more…)

Categorized as Civil Rights, Corporate Partnerships and Training, Disability Rights, Fair Housing, Uncategorized
Tags: accessibility, Corporate Partnerships & Training, public accommodations

ERC’s Assistance Animal Toolkit Now Available!

Posted on January 30th, 2013 by ERC

The ERC is proud to announce the publication The Assistance Animal Users’ Public Accommodations and Fair Housing Toolkit. This toolkit is just one of the many resources and publications that the ERC uses to educate individuals about their rights under federal, state and local laws.

Thousands of individuals use service and assistive animals in their everyday lives. From guide dogs that help blind individuals navigate their surroundings, to cats that provide emotional support to people suffering from depression, there are numerous types of assistance animals available to people with disabilities. However, federal laws governing the right to be accompanied by these animals in various settings can be confusing.

The Assistance Animal Users’ Public Accommodations and Fair Housing Toolkit is designed to inform individuals who use service and assistance animals of their rights under both the federal Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The toolkit is designed to help define and categorize the different types of assistance animals, and to inform those who use an assistance animal of their rights and what they can do if they experience discrimination.

The toolkit outlines the process for requesting reasonable modifications and reasonable accommodations under federal laws, informs individuals how to report discrimination and provides self-advocacy tips.

To download a PDF copy of the report, click here.

To request a hard copy of the toolkit, send us an email at members@equalrightscenter.org.

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Categorized as Advocacy, Disability Rights, Fair Housing
Tags: ADA, Americans with Disabilities Act, disability rights, ERC, fair housing, public accommodations, service animals, toolkit

DHCD Releases the District of Columbia Analysis of Impediments

Posted on January 14th, 2013 by ERC

Steve Paikin, Director of Fair Housing & Equal Opportunity for HUD’s Washington, D.C. field office, speaks at the DHCD press conference.

In December, the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the release of the “District of Columbia Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing Choice 2006-2011.”

Published every five years by districts and municipalities that receive federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for fair housing activities and programs, this report analyzes “the essential goals of the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) and the Fair Housing Act to achieve racial, ethnic, and economic diversity in housing…”

The DHCD report examines the state of housing and housing discrimination issues in the District of Columbia over a five-year period. Following exhaustive investigations and research, DHCD recognized 13 impediments to fair housing in Washington, D.C., spanning both the private and public sector. The report also details recommendations to remedy these impediments. (more…)

Categorized as Advocacy, Civil Rights, Fair Housing, Government Services
Tags: Department of Housing and Urban Development, DHCD, fair housing, press conference, Washington DC

Misguided: Housing Discrimination Against Individuals Using Guide Dogs

Posted on November 12th, 2012 by ERC

This week, the Equal Rights Center (ERC) released a report detailing the treatment of blind or visually impaired renters seeking a reasonable accommodation for a service animal in the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area rental housing market. “Misguided: Housing Discrimination Against Individuals Using Guide Dogs” found that housing providers failed to individuals who used service animals equal housing opportunity thirty-one percent of the time, despite federal, state and local protections requiring such accommodations.

Guide dogs and other assistive animals serve an important function and are not pets. Nonetheless, many rental properties employ a “no pets” policy or have strict guidelines, including the type of animal allowed and size of the animal. Recognizing the adverse effect these policies may have, the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as state and local laws, provide protections to people with disabilities in housing-related transactions, including the right to obtain a reasonable accommodation for the use of a service animal.

Despite these protections, the ERC and its affiliates continue to receive reports of discrimination. To test these claims, the ERC conducted 100 tests of rental properties throughout the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area [for further information on testing and methodology, read the full report here]. In 31 percent of the tests, a blind individual who called a rental property to inquire about housing was unable to ensure that a guide dog would be permitted without any additional fee or cost. The treatment ranged from increased fees, to a lack of knowledge on property policies involving service animals, to outright refusals to accommodate a guide dog.

Service and other assistive provide essential services to many in the disability community. From a blind individual who uses a guide dog to walk down the street, to a person diagnosed with epilepsy who works with a dog trained to detect seizures, assistive animals are invaluable resources and companions. (more…)

Categorized as Advocacy, Disability Rights, Fair Housing
Tags: blind, disability rights, guide dog, Misguided, reports, service animals, testing, Washington DC

ERC and JBG Properties, Inc. to collaborate on accessibility

Posted on September 21st, 2012 by ERC

This week the ERC and the Chevy Chase-based JBG Properties, Inc. announced a joint agreement to work together to improve the supply of accessible housing for people with disabilities. With this agreement, JBG will become the 12^th member of the ERC’s Multifamily Housing Resource Program (MHRP), a membership program within the ERC’s Corporate Partnerships & Training (CPT) Program which offers developers a proactive approach to housing accessibility. As a member of the MHRP, JBG will work collaboratively with the ERC to train employees with respect to fair housing and accessibility, and to implement best practices that ensure accessibility at its multifamily properties.

“The Equal Rights Center is proud to welcome one of the most active and innovative real estate investment and development firms in the Washington, D.C. area to the Multifamily Housing Resource Program,” said ERC Executive Director Don Kahl. “The MHRP continues to change the way the multifamily housing industry thinks about, and prioritizes accessibility.” (more…)

Categorized as Corporate Partnerships and Training, Fair Housing
Tags: accessibility, Corporate Partnerships & Training, ERC, fair housing, JBG, MHRP

The ERC is proud to announce the launch of our newest PSA campaign!

Posted on September 20th, 2012 by ERC

The ERC is proud to announce the launch of our newest PSA campaign!

The ERC’s “Love Thy Neighbor” campaign focuses on housing discrimination against same-sex couples in the D.C. metro area. More than 20 states and the District of Columbia include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes, yet the LGBT community continues to face blatant discriminatory practices when attempting to buy or rent a home.

There is very little research on the prevalence of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation. The most definitive study, conducted by Michigan’s Fair Housing Centers in 2007, found that thirty percent of same-sex couples were treated more negatively than opposite-sex couples when attempting to buy or rent the same property. The different treatment ranged from outright refusing to sell or rent to a same-sex couple, showing the same-sex couple less desirable properties, quoting higher rent prices, and providing less favorable customer service. Gay individuals also reported verbal harassment from landlords, realtors and lenders.

The D.C. Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination by landlords or agents against potential renters or buyers based on both sexual orientation and gender identity. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development similarly prohibits discrimination against LGBT individuals in federally subsidized housing programs. Not only is this discrimination legally and morally wrong, but it’s also bad business. The millions of individuals in the U.S. and thousands in the District who identify as members of the LGBT community represent a significant customer pool for housing as well as other goods and services. Through compliance with civil rights laws, landlords create sound business models, and become partners and leaders in the community.

An individual’s ability to obtain adequate and safe housing of their choice affects all aspects of daily life – employment and educational opportunities, proximity to friends and family, availability of public transportation, and access to both commercial and government services.

Keep an eye out for the campaign which will run in the Washington Post Express and Street Sense! If you see one of our ads, snap a picture and share it on our Facebook or Twitter accounts. You can always check out the campaign on our website as well!

Categorized as Advocacy, Civil Rights, Fair Housing, LBGT Rights
Tags: DC Human Rights Act, Education & Outreach, fair housing, LGBT, Public Service Announcement, Washington Post

Housing Providers Leaving Deaf and Hard of Hearing Disconnected

Posted on August 8th, 2012 by ERC

Housing providers continue to discriminate against individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing.

Despite living in an era of digital communications, many of the more than 9 million individuals who identify as Deaf or hard of hearing rely on relay services to conduct daily activities necessary by telephone. Acknowledging the importance of this means of communication, federal laws prohibit discrimination against relay service users in housing-related transactions.

Yet, in a recent investigation by the Equal Rights Center, 45% of telecommunications relay service users who sought rental housing in the greater Washington, D.C. area experienced discriminatory treatment while seeking housing. The scope of discrimination documented ranged from an outright hang up and subsequent refusal to answer calls, to misrepresentation of availability of apartments, higher rents, differing requirements, and no follow up.

The ability to have a one-on-one, real-time conversation is crucial in a number of human interactions, including the process of choosing a home. Two-way conversations can provide individuals with much more knowledge than a question and answer session over email. Potential renters may have a diverse set of questions for housing providers that require this level of real-time direct interaction. (more…)

Categorized as Advocacy, Civil Rights, Disability Rights, Fair Employment, Fair Housing
Tags: disability rights, Disconnected, technology, telecommunications relay service

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