Fair housing an issue after 36 years

Milestone law celebrated while discrimination is still nationwide problem

The celebration of Fair Housing Month in Moses Lake and across America commemorates the 36th anniversary of the passing of the Fair Housing Act. Even after almost four decades, most experts agree that despite the progress, there is still work to be done.

John Poling, director of the Housing Authority of Grant County said that with time, the issues of discrimination have broadened, as has the public's awareness of it.

"Back in the old days, we had private landlords who might put ads on the papers saying 'married couples only,'" he said. "Now that is illegal and it should be."

He added that people's awareness of the problem has helped some, as well, ranking the level of information of people in the area at a seven, on a one to 10 scale.

"People are moderately well informed," Poling said. "It has to do with the fact that we are inundated with media and we have information at our fingertips our parents never dreamed of."

Poling added that his entity has rarely had to deal with issues of discrimination.

When it happens, and applicants complain about the HAGC about processes that they deem discriminatory, the HAGC puts in place a hearing process.

The first step of a hearing process is an informal hearing, where the complainant talks to a hearing officer.

"If the hearing officer finds it in favor of the tenant, that is the end of the story," Poling said. "We correct whatever action we took."

If the hearing find s in favor of the HAGC, the tenant can request a formal hearing that involves a tenant that does not work for the housing authority, generally an employee of another service agency.

The informal agency's decision is final, but in Poling's words, "The tenant can always sue us if he wants. It's never happened that I am aware of"

Lawsuits may not happen but discrimination still does said Pamela Negri, a public affairs officer for the Region X office in Seattle of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Like Poling, Negri said the scope of discrimination does not stop at race.

"While race and color are significant factors," she said. "We have a high number of discrimination cases regarding individuals with a disability, not just in the state but across the national spectrum."

Negri mentioned seven ways to discriminate that are considered illegal under Washington State Law, which incidentally is almost identical in that regard to federal housing regulations.

"There are seven protected classes of people under federal law, on basis of race, color, nationality, religion, sex, disability and familial status." Seattle, she added, has included marital status, political ideology and sexual orientation.

There are several ways to combat the newer strains of discrimination, she said. "The HUD is increasing the effort in terms of outreach," she said. An example of that is the van that visited Moses Lake last week.

Another example is the work of non-profit groups such as the Northwest Fair Housing Alliance, whose main focus is toe educate the consumer and the provider in the housing markets.

The Washington State Human Rights Commission is another group, which investigates most of the fair housing cases and complaints received by the HUD. In the past year, most of the complaints had to do with discrimination due to disabilities, Berneta Walraven from the Commission's offices in Seattle said.

Sharon Ortiz, from the Spokane offices of the commission, said that one of the reasons for that is that the people with disabilities are better organized and better versed in terms of the law that defends and protects them. She added that central Washington is faring no better or no worse in terms of fair housing. Problems in the area include the growth of 'Micro-colonias" areas of substandard housing for farm-workers.

Walraven said that the central Washington area features landlords owning smaller numbers of units, often with no access to an attorney or with a limited knowledge of the law.

Hence, the number of people who step forth with their complaints and grievances are still a minority, a HUD study shows.

There is a variety of reasons for why people do not take action. Negri said that these might include a lack of knowledge of what their rights are, or lack of awareness that they have actually been discriminated against.

"In other cases, it may be because of apathy," Negri said. "People feel like it may not be worth it to complain." Mistrust of government and its agencies may keep people from speaking out on their own behalf.

"If you feel like you have to call us, call us," Negri said. "Even if it's you are not sure if you have been discriminated

For more information visit the HUD's Web site at www.hud.gov, or www.espa-ol.hud.gov. They may call the HUD's toll-free number at 1-800-877-0246, or the number for the WSHRC at 1-800-233-3247.