December 15, 2017
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a settlement in a California Fair Housing Act case. According to a press release on the HUD official site, HUD has entered into an agreement “with the owner and property manager of Shadowbrook Gardens Senior Townhomes in Morgan Hill, California, a city in Santa Clara County, resolving allegations that they discriminated against a resident with disabilities”.
A tenant of that property, “requested to have a live-in aide and a key to a locked gate near her unit that would make it easier for her to come and go” according to the HUD press release, which adds that in each case, “the owner and property manager allegedly asked her intrusive questions about her disability, challenged whether she really had a disability, asserted that the development was for individuals who could live independently, and ultimately denied her requests”.
A nonprofit group called Project Sentinel helped the resident file a Fair Housing complaint with HUD.
“Residents with disabilities have the right to reasonable accommodations that allow them to use and enjoy their home, without unnecessary and invasive questioning,” says Anna María Farías, HUD’s Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who was quoted in the press release. She adds, “HUD will continue to work with housing providers to ensure they meet their obligation to comply with national fair housing laws.”
The agreement requires the owner and property manager to pay $4,000 to the tenant, and $7,000 to Project Sentinel. Under the agreement, HUD requires the owner “to keep the gate near the resident’s unit unlocked or provide her with a key; allows the resident to have a live-in caregiver; and requires the owner and property manager to obtain fair housing training and implement a reasonable accommodation policy that complies with the Fair Housing Act”.
What does this have to do with FHA home loans? Victims of housing discrimination may be renters, potential buyers or home loan borrowers, students, people from all walks of life. Those who rent may or may not be looking to buy; regardless of personal financial choices to rent or own, any form of housing discrimination makes it harder to pursue those financial choices.
Those who wish to buy have a much harder time when dealing with violations of their Fair Housing Act rights. We report cases here to remind people they do have recourse when faced with those violations, and that often the only person standing between further abuses and justice is the victim who reports the problem.
If you believe your Fair Housing Act rights have been violated, file a complaint with the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).
Joe Wallace has been specializing in military and personal finance topics since 1995. His work has appeared on Air Force Television News, The Pentagon Channel, ABC and a variety of print and online publications. He is a 13-year Air Force veteran and a member of the Air Force Public Affairs Alumni Association. He was Managing editor for www.valoans.com for (8) years and is currently the Associate Editor for FHANewsblog.com.
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