Online Alerts

COACH's Pop Quiz!

May 5, 2021    

How Should You Respond to Tenant-on-Tenant Harassment?

Q: A tenant on the third floor tells you that one of your white tenants (Ms. W) has been steadily barraging her Black neighbor (Ms. B) with racial slurs over the course of...

Community to Pay $10K for Alleged Refusal to Grant Disabled Resident’s Transfer Request

October 22, 2012    

HUD recently announced that the owner, management company, and a former property manager of an Atlanta community have agreed to pay $10,000 to settle allegations that they violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to allow a resident with disabilities to transfer to a ground-floor unit.

Will You Pass the Test?

October 21, 2012    

In our November 2012 lesson, “Be Prepared for Fair Housing Testers,” the Coach reviews recent developments that point to a renewed emphasis on traditional fair housing testing. With the influx of millions in HUD funding earlier this year, state and local enforcement agencies...

Court: Fair Housing Law Doesn't Apply to Roommate Selection

March 28, 2012    

There’s an update to a case we reported in the November 2011 issue of Fair Housing Coach: A federal appeals court has dismissed a fair housing case filed against an online roommate-matching service, Roommates.com, ruling that the Fair Housing Act (FHA) does not apply to shared...

Pennsylvania Community to Pay $15,000 to Settle HUD Charges

March 27, 2012    

The owner of a Pennsylvania apartment complex recently agreed to pay $15,000 to settle claims that the development’s on-site manager discriminated against families with children. Last summer, HUD charged the owner and manager with charging families higher rent when they have children and...

Fair Housing FAQs: Answers to Common Compliance Questions

March 26, 2012    

In honor of Fair Housing Month, the April 2012 Fair Housing Coach tackles some of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) about fair housing law in conventional multifamily housing communities. Here are seven of the 17 FAQs from the April issue, available on our homepage:

Utah Community Pays to Resolve Dispute About Veteran's Assistance Animal

March 25, 2012    

Last month, the Justice Department announced a $20,000 consent decree that resolves a lawsuit alleging that a Utah condominium association and its management company violated federal fair housing law by refusing to grant a resident’s request for a reasonable accommodation.

Fair Housing Case Pulled Off Supreme Court Docket

February 22, 2012    

The U.S. Supreme Court will not review a controversial fair housing case after all. The case, highlighted in the January 2012 Fair Housing Coach, centered on disparate impact claims under the Fair Housing Act (FHA). While everyone agrees that the FHA bans intentional discrimination...

'Students Only' Rentals Nixed in Chicago-Area Community

February 21, 2012    

A company that owns and operates multifamily rental housing in Evanston, Ill., has backed away from plans to limit occupancy in one of its buildings to only Northwestern University students, according to the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs, an advocacy group that filed a...

FHA vs. ADA: Communities Struggle to Make Sense of New ADA Rules

February 20, 2012    

Last fall, the Justice Department issued new ADA rules that take full effect on March 15, 2012. Among other things, the new rules adopt scoping provisions establishing accessible design standards, including standards on making swimming pools, exercise clubs, and other recreation facilities...

Seven Tips for Meeting Disability-Related Needs of Individuals with Mobility Impairments

February 19, 2012    

In our March 2012 lesson, Fair Housing Coach explains how to meet the disability-related needs of individuals with mobility impairments under fair housing law. Communities should expect increased demand to meet those requirements with the influx of returning veterans—many...

New Regs Ban LGBT Discrimination in HUD-Assisted Housing

February 9, 2012    

HUD recently announced new regulations intended to ensure that HUD's core housing programs are open to all eligible persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The new regulations, published as a final rule in theFederal Register this week, will go into effect in 30...