Fair Housing Report Shows Housing Providers More Likely to Face Scrutiny

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April marks the 37th anniversary of the signing of the Fair Housing Act and the nation’s annual observance of Fair Housing Month
RISMEDIA, April 1 ? Landlords and rental agents who violate the Fair Housing Act are more likely than ever to come under federal scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, according to a new 2005 State of Fair Housing Report.

In 2004, HUD and its state and local Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP) partners received 9,187 housing discrimination complaints, a 13 percent increase over the previous fiscal year. Together they settled or conciliated 3,183 cases and provided over $11 million in monetary relief, in addition to other resolutions, such as the desired housing.

April marks the 37th Anniversary of the signing of the Fair Housing Act and the nation’s annual observance of Fair Housing Month.

“In four decades we have made great progress in educating people about the Fair Housing Act but as the cases highlighted in this report illustrate, not everyone has gotten the message,” said Carolyn Peoples, HUD assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity. “In an era where finding safe, decent, affordable housing can sometimes be difficult, equal access is more important than ever.”

The report that can be found at www.hud.gov/offices/fheo/enforcement/hudcharges.cfm credits the nation’s fair housing efforts with increasing the availability of accessible housing units for persons with disabilities and helping to increase minority homeownership rates to a record high.

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