February 20, 2018
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced the resolution of a California Fair Housing Act discrimination case.
According to a press release at the HUD official site, the agency has reached an agreement with the Housing Authority of the County of Contra Costa (HACCC) and the Vallejo Housing Authority (VHA), “resolving allegations that they violated the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act when they allegedly denied a request by a resident with disabilities to extend her search time to find suitable housing that would accept her Housing Choice Voucher”.
Fair Housing Act laws make it illegal to discriminate against those buying or renting a home by “denying or limiting housing to persons with disabilities, or discriminating in the terms or conditions of housing services, including by refusing to make reasonable accommodations in policies or practices for persons with disabilities.”
The press release adds that Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 also forbids discrimination on the basis of disability by any program or activity receiving federal funding.
“For residents with disabilities, being allowed a longer period to find housing can be the difference between having a roof over their heads and finding themselves on the street,” said Anna María Farias, HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who was quoted in the HUD press release.
Farias adds, “This case reminds housing providers of the seriousness of their responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 and demonstrates HUD’s commitment to ensuring that housing providers follow through on these responsibilities.”
Under the terms of the settlement, HACCC and VHA must pay the victim $10,000. “HACCC will also reinstate the woman’s Housing Choice Voucher and VHA will port her voucher into its jurisdiction. In addition, the woman will be provided more time to locate and lease housing, and VHA will revise its Extension of Voucher Term policy” according to the HUD official site.
We report on cases like these to remind those looking for a home that many times, the victim’s complaints about discrimination are the only thing that has the potential to end the illegal activity. In particular instance, HUD became involved following a complaint, “alleging that the housing authorities denied her reasonable accommodation request for additional time to find a suitable housing unit where she could use her Housing Choice Voucher, causing her to lose her Voucher”.
If you feel you’ve experienced a violation of your rights under the Fair Housing Act, file a complaint with the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777 (voice) or (800) 927-9275 (TTY).
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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