June 1, 2017
The Department of Housing and Urban Development has announced a settlement in a California Fair Housing Act discrimination case. According to the FHA/HUD official site, HUD “reached an agreement with the owner and manager of a California apartment complex, resolving allegations they discriminated against tenants because of their national origin and familial status. Two related complaints filed with HUD alleged that the manager of the Four Palms Apartments in Mountain View, California, made discriminatory statements about Latino residents and prohibited their children from playing outside”.
Such discrimination is not permitted under federal Fair Housing Act laws. “A family’s right to enjoy their home shouldn’t depend on where they are from or whether they have children,” said Bryan Greene, HUD’s General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, who was quoted in an FHA/HUD press release dated May 22, 2017. Greene adds, “HUD is committed to taking action to ensure the policies and practices of housing providers follow the law.”
Sometimes the only way housing discrimination issues get resolved is because the victims complained. That seems true in this particular case, which was brought to HUD by a pair of Latino couples who live at the Four Palms Apartments. The couples filed a complaint “alleging that the owner and the manager of the complex discriminated against them because of their national origin and because they have children.”
The press release adds that a housing rights group, Project Sentinel, also got involved, filing a complaint on behalf of the Four Palms residents. That complaint alleged, “that the manager of Four Palms Apartments repeatedly made statements indicating that he did not like having Latino tenants at the property because they did not speak English, and accusing them of bringing pests, including bed bugs and rats, to the property.”
As a result of the settlement, the owner of the Four Palms “will pay a total of $20,000 and revise the Four Palm’s rules to comply with the Fair Housing Act. In addition, the property’s manager will complete fair housing training.”
If you believe you have been the victim of such discrimination, file a complaint as soon as possible with the HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at (800) 669-9777. You can also file online at www.hud.gov/fairhousing
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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