November 7, 2016
A press release on the HUD official site announces that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has reached an agreement between the East Chicago Housing Authority and a fair housing organization, “resolving multiple complaints of housing discrimination” according to the press release.
Acting on behalf residents in the area, the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law alleged the East Chicago Housing Authority violated the Fair Housing Act, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, “with respect to the relocation of residents at West Calumet Housing Complex due to soil surrounding the complex being contaminated with lead and arsenic.”
The HUD press release states that, according to the complaint, “the housing authority engaged in discriminatory housing practices in its management of the relocation because residents were being moved into poor, segregated communities with similar or serious levels of environmental contaminations.”
The agreement is said to resolve these complaints, which include allegations that the housing authority “made housing unavailable on the basis of race, familial status, and/or disability and discriminated against residents in the terms, conditions, privileges, or services and facilities.”
The press release adds that the Shriver Center claimed that when the housing authority “made the decision to vacate and demolish the West Calumet Housing Complex after it determined that the lead and arsenic-contaminated soil surrounding the complex posed imminent danger to its residents, it did not provide the time or resources for households to make decisions in the best interest of their health and safety.” The complaint includes allegations that the East Chicago Housing Authority failed to offer “higher rent subsidies if needed and other reasonable accommodations to households that included members with disabilities” in accordance with Section 504.
Residents in the West Calumet housing complex are dealing with many decisions on the health and future well-being of their families, and this agreement will help ensure they have the necessary time and resources to make the best decision possible under these unprecedented circumstances, said Gustavo Velasquez, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who was quoted in the press release. We commend the collaboration between the housing authority and local fair housing leaders to reach this fair housing agreement in a timely manner.
While issues like these don’t always directly affect the mortgage loan process, any kind of discrimination in the housing process can become a serious problem for a borrower or future borrower. Fair Housing Act laws must be respected at all levels of the housing process; those planning a future home purchase who are budgeting and planning to do so are impeded by the kinds of discrimination mentioned in the HUD press release. You can learn about Fair Housing Act Rights at the HUD official site.
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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