Category Archives: Housing Discrimination
Buffalo Comes Under Fire for Failing to Enforce its Fair Housing Law
Two years ago, a Buffalo resident filed a complaint with a local fair housing organization, known as Housing Opportunities Made Equal, when her request for housing was denied by a landlord after he discovered that she received financial assistance from the federal government. Although the findings of the investigation into the matter were passed… Read More »
Congresswoman Introduces Bill to Restore Fair Housing Protections
In late June, Congresswoman Maxine Waters introduced House Resolution 6220, which if passed, would restore a number of fair housing protections that were eliminated by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) over the last two years. In early August, HR 6220 was referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution… Read More »
Bank of America Sued for Failing to Maintain Foreclosed Properties in Minority Neighborhoods
In late June, the National Fair Housing Alliance, 19 other housing groups, and two Maryland homeowners filed a lawsuit against Bank of America, alleging that the financial institution violated the Fair Housing Act (FHA) by intentionally failing to maintain foreclosed homes in minority neighborhoods, despite consistently maintaining similar properties in primarily white areas. According… Read More »
HUD Investigates Facebook Over Housing Advertisements
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently reopened an investigation into Facebook’s advertising practices. The investigation was initiated earlier this year after Facebook was accused of giving advertisers the ability to exclude certain ethnic groups from seeing housing advertisements posted on their site. The reopened investigation follows hot on the heels of… Read More »
Fair Housing Lawsuit Alleges Racial Discrimination
Recently, a national group of fair housing advocates filed a complaint in federal court, in which they alleged that the Fair Housing Act was being intentionally violated at the expense of minority communities in Indiana. Specifically, the groups claim that a number of banks and mortgage servicing companies have purposefully and repeatedly failed to… Read More »
HUD to Delay Implementation of the Affirmatively Further Fair Housing Rule Until 2020
Early this year, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced that it would be delaying implementation of a rule intended to address housing discrimination across the country until at least 2020. HUD’s failure to implement this rule, which would require state and local governments to conduct assessments of fair housing in… Read More »
HUD Issues New Guidance on FHA Protections for Those with Limited English Proficiency
In September, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) published new guidance on how the Fair Housing Act (FHA) applies to claims of housing discrimination based on a person’s inability to speak fluent English. According to HUD’s recent announcement, the FHA prohibits this type of conduct, so if you were denied housing… Read More »
HUD Warns Missouri About Effects of Recently Enacted Anti-Discrimination Legislation
Last week, a letter that was sent by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to state officials in July was finally released to the public. According to the letter, officials in Missouri were notified that the state would no longer be permitted to participate in certain federal housing programs due to… Read More »
New Federal Bill Seeks to Expand Fair Housing Act to Cover Gender Identity
Earlier this year, a new bill was introduced in the Senate, that if passed, could significantly expand the protections offered under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). Currently, the FHA prohibits housing discrimination based on color, race, national origin, sex, familial status, and disability. The law’s proponents seek to expand the protections offered by the… Read More »
Drastic Cuts to HUD’s Budget Proposed
Recently, the Trump Administration proposed significant budget cuts for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to the tune of around six billion dollars. In response, many fair housing advocates and experts in urban policy have voiced concerns that the budget cuts would have devastating consequences for low-income families by stalling backlogged repairs… Read More »
