June 10, 2015
Housing discrimination is a violation of federal law. Sometimes that discrimination happens at the time a borrower applies for a home loan, other times it happens when the house hunter is looking for a home. But what about situations where a borrower has applied for a home loan, FHA or otherwise, closes the deal and moves in, only to find discrimination waiting for them once they are legally occupying the property?
Such a case recently made headlines in North Miami Beach. The HUD official site has announced a settlement in a housing discrimination case in Florida. According to the HUDNo. 15-069, “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today an agreement with a North Miami Beach condominium association settling allegations its board president harassed and made discriminatory remarks about Black and Hispanic residents and attempted to evict them.”
You cant deny people housing because of what they look like or where they come from, said Gustavo Velasquez, HUDs Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who was quoted in the press release. He adds, We have zero tolerance for those who discriminate against people because of their race or national origin.
According to HUD, “The settlement is the result of a complaint filed by HUD alleging the president of the condominium associations board of directors, Daniella Adams, engaged in a number of discriminatory actions against Black and Hispanic residents participating in the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) Program.”
The details of the HUD complaint included allegations that the condo association’s president, “reported the tenants to Miami Dade Public Housing Agency for contrived Section 8 rules violations in an attempt to have them removed from the property. As a result of Adams actions, several residents who were Section 8 voucher holders moved out of the complex.”
Borrowers who experience discrimination like this, regardless of whether they have FHA home loans or not, are often the only line of defense against continued violations of the Fair Housing Act by the perpetrators. Only by reporting such illegal activities can HUD step in to investigate–HUD can’t look into what it does not know about. Borrowers and homeowners are urged to report suspected or ongoing incidents of housing discrimination.
You can file a Fair Housing Act violation complaint by contacting HUDs Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Call Toll-Free: (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY). According to the FHA/HUD official site, “Housing discrimination complaints may also be filed by going to www.hud.gov/fairhousing, or by downloading HUDs free housing discrimination mobile application, which can be accessed through Apple devices, such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch, as well as Android devices.”
Do you have questions about FHA loans, or FHA refinance loans? Ask us in the comments section. All comments are reviewed before they appear on the website.
Under the Conciliation Agreement, the condo association will establish a $109,000 compensation fund to pay damages to more than 20 residents and others harmed by Adams alleged discriminatory actions, adopt an application policy that does not allow discrimination, and provide fair housing training for the associations board members, officers and employees.
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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