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 …
Newsletter Articles
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 …
Join us for the 16th Annual Raleigh Fair Housing Conference
The Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina and the City of Raleigh’s Fair Housing Hearing Board are excited to announce the 16th Annual Raleigh Fair Housing Conference. April 18, 2019 8:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. McKimmon Center 1101 Gorman Street Raleigh, NC 27606 This year’s conference will feature two plenary sessions: (1) Fair …
New Report on the State of Fair Housing in North Carolina
Discrimination based on race and disability account for the vast majority of housing discrimination complaints filed in North Carolina, according to a new report by the Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid of North Carolina. The report, titled State of Fair Housing in North Carolina, examined North Carolina fair housing complaint data obtained from the …
Issue Spotlight: Hoarding and Fair Housing
It is a situation that has arisen repeatedly: A maintenance worker enters a tenant’s unit to make a repair or conduct an inspection and discovers that the unit is filled so much paper and other belongings that walking through it is difficult and even unsafe. Despite being given 30 days to remove excess belongings, the …
Fair Housing Listening Session for Veterans Held in Fayetteville
Over the past few months, the Fair Housing Project has been hosting fair housing listening sessions around the state in partnership with local fair housing agencies, stakeholders, and community partners. The sessions are targeted towards engaging with the community and hearing from the public directly about the fair housing issues they have experienced or are …
Occupancy Policies and the Fair Housing Act: How Many is Too Many?
Scenario. A family of five applies to rent a two-bedroom home. The family is turned away by the housing provider after being told that its occupancy policy only allows a maximum of three people in a two-bedroom unit. The family has been told this before by other housing providers and is upset they have been …
HUD’s “Smoke-Free” Policy for Public Housing
As of July 30, 2018, all Public Housing Authorities (PHAs) across the country were required to have “smoke-free” policies under a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) rule. HUD’s smoke-free rule was adopted to “improve indoor air quality in public housing; benefit the health of public housing resident, visitors, and PHA staff; reduce …
An Animal By Any Other Name (But Not “Pet”)
Service animal, assistance animal, emotional support animal, comfort animal, and companion animal. So many names, but what do they mean? Regardless of the name, one thing is clear: these animals are not considered “pets” under the laws that govern them. So then, what are the differences between these animals? Who gets to have these animals? …