Recent HUD Fair Housing Actions Target HOA, Management Agents, Landlord, Housing Authority For Alleged Discrimination Against Persons With Disabilities

From the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development:

• The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced [] that it is charging landlords in South Florida with discrimination against tenants with disabilities. Meanwhile, HUD is announcing separate agreements with landlords in Nevada and Massachusetts resolving similar charges.

HOA, Property Management Company Refused Access To Visitors Needing Emotional Support Animals, Requiring Unnecessary Info To Grant Reasonable Accommodations

• Florida
  .
  HUD charged the owner of Hillcrest East Building No. 22, a multifamily development in Hollywood, Florida; the property’s management company, Rhodes Management; and a previous president of the homeowners’ association with housing discrimination for failing to make reasonable accommodations, publishing discriminatory notices and statements, and attempting to intimidate and retaliate against two family members who filed a housing discrimination complaint. One individual lives at the subject property, and the other person, who has a disability, was allegedly prevented from visiting her cousin at the subject property because she requires the use of an emotional support animal. HUD’s charge also alleges that the owners and managers discriminated against persons with disabilities by requiring personal and unnecessary medical information in order to grant reasonable accommodations, and by prohibiting emotional support animals and their owners from having access to the development. Read the charge.

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Landlord, Management Company To Cough Up $12K+ To Settle HUD Fair Housing Charges That They Denied Disabled Resident's Request For Transfer To Accessible Unit

• Massachusetts
  .
  HUD has entered into a Voluntary Compliance Agreement with Advanced Realty Management, Advanced Property Management, Howland One Three, and One Three Howland Street, of Quincy, Massachusetts, after HUD found that the property management companies discriminated against a resident with disabilities by denying her reasonable accommodation request to transfer to an accessible unit. Under the agreement, the companies will pay $12,614 to the resident, draft a reasonable accommodation policy that must be approved by HUD, train staff on the new reasonable accommodation policy within 30 days of its approval, and hire a contractor to assess and improve unit accessibility. Read the Voluntary Compliance Agreement.

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Housing Authority To Pay Low-Income Tenant $11K, Reinstate Lease To Settle HUD Charges That It Wrongfully Terminated Her Rent Subsidy Because She Had Disability

• Nevada
  .
  HUD reached a Conciliation/Voluntary Compliance Agreement with the Nevada Rural Housing Authority after a Carson City, Nevada woman with disabilities alleged that the housing authority unlawfully terminated her benefits because she is disabled. The resident had alleged that her tenancy was wrongly terminated because of her disability. Under the agreement, the housing authority will pay the woman $11,000; reinstate her lease and allow her to continue living at the property; grant her reasonable accommodation request to have a staff person designated to act as her contact with the housing authority; and provide fair housing training for its staff. Read the Voluntary Compliance Agreement.

Source: HUD Charges Florida Landlords With Housing Discrimination; Reaches Agreements With Massachusetts And Nevada Landlords.