Fair Housing

Section 8 Mandate For Westchester
   Unless county officials appeal a court verdict, Westchester County, NY must adopt a law barring Section 8 discrimination in apartment and house rentals. A decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit rejects Westchester’s opposition to a law requiring landlords to accept Section 8 housing vouchers as a legal source of
posted 4/16/13 7:05 PM  read complete story

Westchester Settlement Unraveling
   A 2009 fair housing settlement between HUD and Westchester County, NY is beginning to unravel, following several warnings from the settlement monitor to comply with the pact’s terms or face losing federal development subsidies. After holding back for several months, HUD threatens to divert $7.4 million of the county’s Community Development
posted 3/29/13 10:02 AM  read complete story

Fair Housing Groups Push New Rule
   A chorus of civil rights groups praises HUD’s stepped-up enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, while also prodding the agency to issue its new fair housing rule, now anticipated in April. The rule will define in detail how HUD grantees must aggressively promote fair housing.
posted 3/13/13 6:08 PM  read complete story

‘Disparate Impact’ Rule Sparks Backlash
   HUD’s decision to apply its “disparate impact” fair housing concept with a final rule has insurers girding for a legal challenge. The controversial rule holds a property owner/landlord liable for housing bias if an action however remote could at some point discriminate against a
posted 2/12/13 5:25 PM  read complete story

HUD To Push Disparate Impact Doctrine
   In a meticulously crafted rule notice, HUD signals that it intended to enforce the “disparate impact” doctrine rigorously while efforts continue elsewhere to take the hot-button issue to the U.S. Supreme Court. Controversy over HUD’s role in persuading the city of St. Paul, MN to drop its challenge to a disparate impact lawsuit filed against city by a group of
posted 1/16/13 10:02 AM  read complete story

HUD Unveils Massive Integration Plan
   HUD intends to submit a new rule proposal in April targeting massive desegregation of each of the nation’s more than 74,000 census tracts. The plan, modeled on HUD’s Westchester County, NY low-income housing mandate,
posted 1/2/13 1:41 PM  read complete story

Baltimore Housing Dispute Settled
   A 17-year legal battle alleging HUD and the Baltimore Housing Authority perpetuated racial segregation with the city’s public housing policy come to an end with city assurances that inner-city families will have access to rental housing in Baltimore’s suburbs
posted 11/30/12 11:15 AM  read complete story

Housing Bias Against Guide Dogs
   Nearly one-third of all landlords discriminate against blind renters seeking an apartment that will accommodate a guide dog. The finding by the Equal Rights Center is described in a new report, “Misguided: Housing Discrimination Against Individuals Using Guide Dogs.”
posted 11/16/12 12:26 PM  read complete story

Justice Obstruction Alluded In Letter
   Four Republican lawmakers ask the Justice Department to answer why it allowed St. Paul, MN to drop a pending lawsuit regarding the Fair Housing Act. The lawsuit challenged the concept of “disparate impact” which allows fair housing claims although the policy in question has no intention of discrimination even if bias occurs because of it
posted 10/5/12 10:29 AM  read complete story

Fair Housing Advocates Against Bank
   An investigation by the National Fair Housing Alliance results in a discrimination complaint filing with HUD against the Bank of America. NFHA and five of its members allege that Bank of America and two of its operational arms maintain foreclosed homes in white areas but not
posted 9/28/12 10:59 AM  read complete story