The Fair Housing Project will be conducting a Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Live Webinar on fair housing and assistance and service animals Wednesday, April 8, 2020 12:00 PM – 1:30 p.m 1.5 hours general CLE credit (pending NC State Bar approval) Click Here to Register The training will cover federal and state law regarding the …
Newsletter Articles
Greensboro apartment communities settle housing discrimination complaints
RALEIGH, March 31, 2020 – Legal Aid of North Carolina’s Fair Housing Project has recently resolved housing discrimination complaints brought by a family of three who was denied housing at three different apartment complexes in Greensboro. The complaints alleged discrimination against families with children due to overly restrictive occupancy policies at the properties. As part …
HUD’s New Guidance on Reasonable Accommodations under the Fair Housing Act related to Assistance Animals
On January 28, 2020, HUD released a new guidance document on the rights of people with disabilities to obtain an assistance or service animal in their housing. The document, “Assessing a Person’s Request to Have an Animal as a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Fair Housing Act,” replaces HUD’s 2003 notice. Under the Fair Housing Act, …
U.S. Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability Discrimination in the Design and Construction of Housing
In May, 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit alleging disability discrimination in the design and construction of 82 multifamily housing complexes located in 13 States, including 9 complexes in North Carolina.The lawsuit alleges that the Defendants failed to design and construct housing units, including public and common areas, to make them accessible …
Shut Out of Housing: Legal Protections for Domestic Violence Survivors
Housing is one of the primary needs of domestic violence survivors. Unfortunately, thousands of their requests for housing go unmet each year. As a result, survivors risk homelessness, having to return to their abusers, and other hardships. Survivors of domestic violence may face discrimination when seeking safe and affordable housing… Click to Read More.
Landmark $1,187,500 Settlement Announced in Criminal Records Fair Housing Case
On November 5, 2019, The Fortune Society, a New York-based non-profit that provides housing and other services to formerly incarcerated individuals, announced that it had resolved its Fair Housing Act (FHA) lawsuit against the owners and operators of a large apartment community located in Queens, New York. The Defendants will pay Fortune $1,187,500 in order… Click to Read More
Religious Discrimination under the Fair Housing Act
Can a property owner advertise that their property is adjacent to a church, or tell prospective tenants that because there is no mosque nearby, they might want to look elsewhere for housing? Can a landlord prohibit tenants from displaying Christmas lights, or those for other non-Christian holidays? Does a tenant have any rights if their… Click to Read More
HUD Proposes Changes to its 2013 Disparate Impact Rule
On August 16, 2019, HUD published a proposed rule to amend its 2013 interpretation of the Fair Housing Act’s “disparate impact” standard. The 60-day public comment period on HUD’s proposal ends on October 18, 2019. The proposed amended disparate impact rule provides a framework for establishing legal liability for facially neutral practices that have discriminatory …
Recent HUD Enforcement Activities on behalf of People with Disabilities
HUD recently announced several enforcement activities related to discrimination against people with disabilities. HUD and City of Los Angeles Reach Landmark Settlement Resolving Disability Discrimination and Lack of Affordable Housing (8/2019) The Agreement anticipates the development of 10,000 units of new affordable housing over a 10-year period, including 1,500 accessible units for individuals with disabilities. …
Renting with a Criminal Background
Landlords and other housing providers may require individuals to undergo a criminal background check as part of the application process. They may also use the results of a criminal background check to determine whether an individual qualifies for housing. However, in using such information, they must ensure that they do not discriminate under fair housing …