The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit alleging that GFI Mortgage Bankers, Inc., violated the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act by charging African-American and Latino borrowers higher interest rates and fees on home mortgage loans than white borrowers. According to the Justice Department’s press release announcing the lawsuit: From 2005 through at least …
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Consumer Group Releases New Study on Fair Lending
The National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) issued a new report examining the fair housing implications of the mortgage lending crisis. The report, entitled “Why Responsible Mortgage Lending Is a Fair Housing Issue,” notes: The historic legacy of redlining contributed materially to the subprime boom and bust, as subprime lenders and brokers flooded African‐American and Latino …
Greensboro Homeless Shelter, Residents Sue State for Disability Discrimination
Mary’s House, the owner and operator of a shelter and transitional living facility in Greensboro, North Carolina, filed a lawsuit in federal court on February 17, 2012, alleging that the State’s decision to stop funding its programs was based on disability-based discrimination in violation of the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and other laws. Joining Mary’s House …
Registration is Now Open for April Fair Housing Conference
Registration is now open for the 10th Annual Fair Housing Conference to be held in Raleigh, NC, on Friday, April 27, 2012. The conference, “Ensuring Fair Housing for All in North Carolina,” will feature keynote speaker John Trasviña, the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. …
HUD, NFHA Launch Media Campaign to Fight Housing Discrimination
On February 22, 2012, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) announced the launch of a new series of radio and print public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to teach individuals and families how to recognize and report discrimination in housing because of race, color, sex, religion, national …
HUD Issues Final Rule Prohibiting LGBT Discrimination
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development issued a final rule on February 3, 2012, requiring equal access to housing in HUD programs without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity, or marital status. In its summary of the rule, which will take effect on March 5, 2012, HUD noted that it had previously issued a …
HUD Assistant Secretary to Speak at April Fair Housing Conference
John Trasviña, the Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will be the keynote speaker at the “Ensuring Fair Housing for All in North Carolina” Conference in Raleigh, NC. The conference, to be held on Friday, April 27, 2012, at the DoubleTree by Hilton, located at 1707 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, …
Justice Department Sues Louisiana Parish, Alleging Racial Discrimination
On January 31, 2012, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against St. Bernard Parish, La., alleging that the parish violated the Fair Housing Act by engaging in a multi-year campaign to limit rental housing opportunities for African-Americans. The DOJ’s press release announcing the lawsuit stated: The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the …
HUD Secretary Announces Upcoming Rule Prohibiting LGBT Discrimination
HUD Secretary Shaun Donavan announced that the Department of Housing and Urban Development will be publishing a final rule in the next week to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and transgender status. The rule, which Secretary Donovan announced in a talk before the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force on January 28, …
Save the Date: April 2012 Fair Housing Conference
Join us on Fri., April 27, 2012 for the first annual Fair Housing Conference. The event, which will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton (formerly Holiday Inn Brownstone), 1707 Hillsborough St., Raleigh, NC, will take place from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Conference panels will cover a wide range of topics including the fair housing rights of the disabled; national origin discrimination; fair lending; and gender-based discrimination.