Fair Housing Update
Below is a summary of Fair Housing Act cases addressed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The facts of these cases and the quotes contained in this article were taken from linked HUD Press releases. While these cases do not involve manufactured housing in particular, they do indicate the many ways the Fair Housing Act could potentially impact our industry.
ARKANSAS – Three cases by HUD, all involving discrimination based upon national origin. Read the Conciliation Agreements here.
CALIFORNIA – HUD settled a case where it was alleged that allegations that a maintenance worker sexually harassed a female resident, “and that after the woman reported the harassment she was retaliated against by being denied a reasonable accommodation she needed due to her disability and ultimately evicted.” Read the Conciliation Agreement here.
CALIFORNIA – The penalty for a housing provider that failed to offer a reasonable accommodation to a resident was $27,000 in this case. Read the Order here.
CALIFORNIA – Another case was settled in California where it was alleged that the housing provider refused to rent to a family with children. Read the Conciliation Agreement here.
CONNECTICUT – In this case, HUD settled a claim with an apartment owner that refused to rent to a woman because she had a child. Read the Conciliation Agreement here.
GEORGIA – A housing provider in Albany, Georgia will pay 34,900 in a case involving discrimination against a resident with disabilities. Read the Order here.
HAWAII – Another “reasonable accommodation case is settled by HUD. Read the Conciliation Agreement here.
NEW YORK – What would any report on Fair Housing Act cases be without reasonable accommodations for assistance animals. Read the HUD Charge here involving condos and another Charge here from NEW YORK on the same topic. Finally, here is an assistance animal Charge by HUD against a NEW JERSEY housing provider.
RHODE ISLAND – Familial discrimination is the basis of this HUD Charge.
WYOMING – This Charge by HUD involves overly restrictive policies regarding children.
The Fair Housing Act makes it unlawful for a housing provider to discriminate on the basis of sex, national origin, disability, color, race, religion, and familial status, including sexually harassing tenants, retaliating against persons for exercising their fair housing rights, and refusing to grant reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities.
