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Q: A resident keeps calling about the status of a reasonable accommodation request she just submitted. The last time, she got nasty, calling you names and threatening to sue you if you don’t give her what she wants. Try as you might, you lost your patience and said that you don’t think she’s disabled anyway—and that she might be better off living somewhere else. You could be accused of a fair housing violation because of your off-hand remark. True or false?
On June 26, Fair Housing Coach was awarded First Place, 2015 Best Newsletter, by the National Association of Real Estate Editors (NAREE), at their annual conference in Miami, Fla.
The judges, a panel of experts from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, singled out Contributing Editor Carol Johnson Perkins’ articles on how housing providers can avoid discriminating against:
In the July issue on fair housing requirements in the nation’s largest cities, the Coach emphasized the importance of keeping track of changes to state and local fair housing laws. In Austin, Texas, for example, local lawmakers adopted an ordinance banning discrimination based on source of income, including Section 8 housing vouchers.
Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin recently marked the anniversary of the federal Fair Housing Act by declaring April Fair Housing Month and signing two housing protection bills into law. One bill, H.123, ensures mobile home parks are safely maintained and abandoned mobile homes can be dealt with fairly and expeditiously. The other, H.256, corrects and confirms protections against retaliation for exercising fair housing rights.
Q: The only elevator at your community needs extensive renovations, which will take it out of service for several months. Two residents living on upper floors have disabilities that make it very difficult to go up and down stairs. You’ve offered to move them to first-floor units and move them back when the work is done, but they don’t want to move and, among other things, ask you to pay for specialized services to transport them up and down the stairs on a weekly basis.
On March 12, 2015, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed new legislation aimed at banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, while preserving religious liberty.
Earlier this month, the federal appeals court issued an emergency order temporarily blocking Austin, Texas, from enforcing a new law to ban discrimination based on source of income, according to the American-Statesman.
Q: Several employees in the leasing office have been out sick, leaving the office short-staffed. You expect them back soon, but you need someone to help answer the phones and cover the office for a week or two. You can’t man the office yourself, but you have a friend who’s between jobs and available to help out until the employees are back on their feet. Even if you both agree that he’s not an employee, you could face fair housing trouble for what he says or does when dealing with prospects. True or false?
Q: In a recent dispute over parking, a resident filed a fair housing claim, but you settled the case by giving her an assigned space as a reasonable accommodation. Soon after, she fell behind on her rent and hasn’t made a payment in two months. Could you face fair housing trouble if you initiate eviction proceedings against her?
Q: You just hired a new employee, who’s been criticizing the way you run the community. Her coworkers say she’s not a “team player” and have overheard her telling residents to contact HUD regarding possible discrimination complaints. Since she’s been nothing but trouble since she started working there, you can terminate her employment without worrying about possible liability under fair housing law. True or false?
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