Fair Housing Foundation Settles Source of Income Discrimination Complaint
September 5, 2024, Long Beach, California — The Fair Housing Foundation (FHF) has reached a successful settlement that includes both monetary damages and non-monetary relief thanks to the assistance of attorney Michelle Uzeta from the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. The management company involved agreed to develop and implement a fair housing policy prohibiting discrimination based on source of income at all residential rental properties it owns and operates, including the subject properties. Additionally, agents and employees of the seven properties are required to attend fair housing training. The company must also include a statement on their website, either “Section 8 is accepted” or “We do not discriminate based on source of income.”
The initial complaint against this property management company came from an individual attempting to utilize her Section 8 voucher at one of the subject properties. The Section 8 home seeker tried to apply for a two-bedroom apartment for herself and her two minor children. However, when she applied, the manager informed her that it would take a month to process the application because the Request for Tenancy Approval (RTA) Packet needed to be filled out by the corporate office. She was also told that the corporate office does not prioritize Section 8 applications. Furthermore, the Section 8 home seeker received an email from the corporate office suggesting that she would be better off pursuing properties/units that are already registered with Section 8.
FHF then conducted an investigation, which confirmed that the apartment management was discouraging Section 8 applicants by stating that while they accepted Section 8, the process would take several months.
Even when a complainant does not wish to pursue litigation, FHF can still proceed with the complaint. We would like to thank Ms. Uzeta for all her hard work in settling this case.
If you believe you may have experienced housing discrimination, please contact FHF offices at (800) 446-FAIR (3247) Deaf or hard of Hearing TTY (800) 855-7100 or by email at [email protected].
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About Fair Housing Foundation:
The Fair Housing Foundation is a non-profit organization established in 1964 and is dedicated to eliminating discrimination in housing and promoting equal access to housing choices for everyone. FHF engages in activities including outreach and education, testing and investigation, and counteracting and eliminating discriminatory housing practices in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties. The Fair Housing Foundation is a HUD-Certified Housing Counseling Agency and also offers Rental Counseling. Please contact Fair Housing Foundation at 1-800-446-3247 (TTY: 1-800 855-7100) for more information.
