Sunday, December 18, 2016

Another 'Discriminating' Landlord Gets Reeled In By Fair Housing Testers; Agrees To Fork Over $70K To Prospective Tenant, Non-Profit Group To Resolve Allegations That It Had "No Kids" & "No Assistance Animals" Rental Policy

From the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (Washington, D.C.):
  • The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced [] an agreement resolving allegations that the owners and manager of an apartment complex in Littleton, Colorado, discriminated against families with children and people with disabilities.

    The voluntary conciliation agreement settles a complaint brought by Denver Metro Fair Housing Center(1) against owners George and Helen Turk, along with their property management company, Katchen & Company, Inc., who were accused of having a 'no kids' policy and limiting housing options for persons with disabilities. Read the agreement.
    ***
    The matter came to HUD’s attention when Denver Metro Fair Housing Center (DMFHC) and a Denver-area family with children filed complaints alleging that the owners and manager of Langford Apartments discriminated against families with children. The fair housing group complaint alleged that a man looking for an apartment for himself, his wife, and his toddler son responded to a Craigslist ad for a unit at the complex and was told by the on-site manager, who was employed by Katchen & Company, Inc., that Langford Apartments did not rent to families with children.

    In subsequent tests conducted by the DMFHC, another on-site manager allegedly told a tester, "no kids," and "we don't accept children." The manager also allegedly told a tester posing as a deaf person that "we don’t allow service animals," and "if you’re deaf I don’t think this is the place for you."

    Under the agreement, the Turks will pay DMFHC and the complaining family $70,000, provide Katchen employees with fair housing training, and establish a company-wide antidiscrimination policy. In addition, future ads for Langford Apartments units will include explicit language encouraging families with children and people with disabilities to apply.
Source: HUD Announces Housing Discrimination Settlement Between Denver Fair Housing Group And Colorado Landlords.
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(1) The Denver Metro Fair Housing Center is a non-profit group that works to eliminate housing discrimination and to promote housing choice for all people through education, advocacy and enforcement of fair housing law in the metropolitan Denver, Colorado area.