Category Archives: Press Release

National Fair Housing Alliance Condemns House’s Multiple Assaults on Fair Housing – Funding Bill Attacks Local and National Efforts to Fight Discrimination

WASHINGTON, DC –The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a funding bill late Tuesday that will prohibit local fair housing agencies and HUD from effectively enforcing the Fair Housing Act on multiple fronts.  Lawmakers approved language that eliminates federal grant funding to local nonprofit fair housing centers making it easier for banks, landlords, and other housing providers to discriminate with impunity.  The bill also included language blocking HUD’s nearly final Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing (AFFH) rule, and its disparate impact rule, both of which are important tools to stop illegal housing discrimination and promote safe and stable communities.

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NFHA Report Links Fair Housing to Health, Education, Transit, Wealth, and Job Opportunities

WASHINGTON, DC–Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) released its 2015 Fair Housing Trends Report, “Where You Live Matters.”  The report features the importance of fair housing in ensuring access to a quality education, transit options, health care, job opportunities and healthy food.  The report also discusses the state of fair housing from a national perspective, with chapters exploring the latest data on housing discrimination, highlights of recent enforcement actions, current public policy shaping access to housing opportunity and recommendations for advancing fair housing nationwide.

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Housing Center Joins NFHA in Charges Against US Bank

For Immediate Release,
November 18, 2014,

by the National Fair Housing Alliance,

U.S. Bank Accused of Racial Discrimination in Five More Cities

Civil Rights Groups Amend Federal Complaint over Neglected Foreclosures, Adding Data from Cleveland, Columbus, Grand Rapids, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Muskegon

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the National Fair Housing Alliance (NFHA) and three of its member organizations announced new evidence of housing discrimination by Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank as part of an ongoing national investigation into the neglect of bank-owned foreclosures in communities of color.  The civil rights groups allege that U.S. Bank fails to maintain and market its foreclosures (also known as real estate owned or REO properties) in African-American and Latino neighborhoods to the same standard as in White neighborhoods, a practice that violates the federal Fair Housing Act. Today, NFHA and its partners are adding 162 REO investigations to the complaint, bringing the total number of U.S. Bank REOs investigated to 651 in 24 metropolitan areas.

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Housing Center Joins Civil Rights Groups in Expanded Discrimination Complaint against Bank of America

The Housing Research and Advocacy Center joined with other fair housing organizations from across the country to investigate how Bank of America continues to maintain and market bank-owned foreclosures (also known as real estate owned or REO properties) in white neighborhoods and in African-American and Latino neighborhoods. This investigation resulted in an expanded discrimination complaint against Bank of America. The press release below contains a brief description of the investigation and complaint.

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Housing Center releases best practices for landlords manual

The Housing Research & Advocacy Center recently released “Best Practices for Rental Property Management: A Manual for Northeast Ohio Landlords,” a guide for landlords to make the most of their rental properties while following fair housing and landlord-tenant law. Part 1 and Part 2 are available online free of charge. Spiral-bound copies are available at our office or can be shipped for the price of postage. If you are interested in a spiral-bound copy for your home or workplace, contact Krissie Wells.

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