Visit hud’s conference site for more details.

A week-long conference set in New Orleans to explore new developments in testing and enforcement, and the potential impact of pending regulatory changes involving “Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing.”

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Settlement in discrimination case in Renton. Illustrates the importance of equitable and consistent treatment of all applicants.

LEP (Limited English Proficiency) resources are available on this site. Find information to help you meet federal requirements to provide equal access to all clients, because customer service is “welcome” in any language.

For several years now, the Idaho Fair Housing Forum has been cooperating and collaborating to provide education and outreach opportunities throughout Idaho. These include the Fair Housing Art Competition and Calendar, conferences and Fair Housing Month events. Our web site serves as a clearinghouse for fair housing and related information of interest to all fair housing stakeholders. Read more about us…

Refugees were in fact responsible and successful homeowners in their native country prior to forced relocation. They can succeed here as well if given the chance. Every refugee receives cash and/or housing assistance for several months after their arrival. They also receive extensive case management and support from local resettlement agencies to secure employment and adjust to life in their new community.

Fair housing law requires housing providers to treat every applicant equally, and that places a burden on them to document credit, rental and criminal history for each applicant without exception. For those who lack any history in these areas, official refugee status (Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act), provides “immediate lawful status with all the rights and privileges of a U.S. citizen (except the right to vote or work for a government entity.)

There is some irony here for all involved; for years, strict fair housing testing and enforcement have had the desired impact on providers, who are now more focused than ever on compliance, and avoid any flexibility or perceived subjectivity in the tenant screening process. Landlords are reduced to using the same yardstick to measure all applicants. When asked now by advocates to treat refugees ‘differently,’ many providers are understandably leery of deviating from the bright line drawn for them by HUD and its enforcement contractors for many years.

Accepting alternate documentation.We all need to expand our concept of ‘documentation’ to remain compliant as this situation evolves. Refugees are brought into this country for resettlement by the U.S. State Department, and carefully screened by the Department of Homeland Security, United Nations refugee Agency. Here are some examples of alternate documentation:

Alternate Documentation

To get the facts and contacts regarding renting to refugees, download:

refugees housing brochure

or contact the following agencies:

Agency for New Americans (208) 338-0033
Idaho Office for Refugees (208) 336-4222
International Rescue Committee (208) 344-1792
World Relief (208) 323-4964
English Language Center (208) 336-5533

See also Mercy Housing’s useful resources at:
Refugee Housing

Where
Doubletree Riverside Hotel, Boise, Idaho

$10 Registration (scholarships available – includes lunch and conference materials)

Mark your Calendars! Registration is required and opens March 1st at www.idahoahma.org

Our conference will be better than ever in 2010. Thanks to the Idaho Affordable Housing Management Association (IdahoAHMA), this year’s fair housing event will take place at the start of the 2010 Idaho AHMA conference in Boise’s Doubletree Riverside Hotel and Conference Center.

We anticipate great interest in this year’s sessions and focus area, and encourage anyone interested in their rights and responsibilities under the Fair Housing Act to attend, from executives and elected officials to housing industry professionals and their counsel, to advocates and the general public.

Michael Allen
We are priviledged this year to have prominent Civil Rights Attorney Michael Allen as a featured presenter. Formerly with the Bazelon Center, Mr. Allen currently serves as counsel for Rehlman and Dane, LLC. A nationally recognized expert on civil and disability rights law, he was instrumental in the groundbreaking $62.5M settlement against Westchester County, NY. Mr. Allen will present an overview of the Westchester case and its impact on recipients of federal funds, as well as a separate session on Reasonable Accommodation and Reasonable Modification. A more complete biography of Mr. Allen is available below. Mr. Allen’s visit to Idaho is made possible by the Intermountain Fair Housing Council.

Esteemed legal panelists
We are also honored to host a lunchtime panel discussion of current Fair Housing issues in Idaho featuring Idaho’s new U.S. Attorney (invited, pending confirmation), along with the Hon. Candy W. Dale of the U.S. District Court, and prominent attorneys representing fair housing enforcement and civil rights defense for housing providers.

Sample Special Interest Sessions

• Fair Housing Basics
• Reasonable Accommodation and Modification
• Affirmative Marketing
• Limited English Proficiency
• 2010 Idaho Analysis of Impediments discussion

The Idaho Fair Housing Forum is open to all housing and community stakeholders. We are not an advocacy organization, but rather seek to offer solution-oriented conversation and cooperation among fair housing and consumer advocates, housing industry professionals, government, and nonprofit service providers.

Suscribe to the News and Events RSS feed for updates and a more complete conference schedule. Don’t forget to register beginning March 1st. Space will be limited! Reasonable accommodations available on request.

Download ‘Save the Date’ flier.

Fair Housing in Idaho Challenges and Best Practices

Presenter
Richard Mabbutt, Executive Director, Intermountain Fair Housing Council

Topics
Fair housing challenges and best practices

Target Audience
Public/Private Housing Providers, Housing Consumers, Advocates and Public Officials

Dates and Locations
February 25, 2010 – Twin Falls Red Lion Canyon Springs Hotel (Cedars Room), 1357 Blue Lakes Blvd. – 8:30am to 12:00pm
February 26, 2010 – City of Pocatello Council Chambers, 911 N. 7th – 9am to 11:30am
April 23, 2010 – Idaho Falls City Council Chambers, 680 Park Avenue – 8:30 to noon
Pocatello training co-sponsored by City of Pocatello, Idaho Legal Aid Services (TBC), and L.I.F.E., Inc.

Workshop and materials provided at no charge to participants.

For information or to pre-register, contact the Intermountain Fair Housing Council at (800) 717-0695

208-664-9896 (voice)
208-666-1362 (fax)
1-800-854-9500
E-mail: amy@dacnw.org

Presenters
Testing and Enforcement Contractor Richard Mabbut, Executive Director of the Intermountain Fair Housing Council, with Attorney Ken Nagy.

Topics
Fair Housing Basics, Disability Rights and Responsibilities, Reasonable Accommodations, and Judicial Decisions.

Target Audience
Apartment management, Property Management companies, Assisted Living Homes, Nursing Homes, Consumers, USDA/Rural Development properties, mental health agencies.

When and Where
Thursday, April 8th, 2010 from 9am-12pm
East Bonner County Library District, Sandpoint branch
1407 W. Cedar Street
Sandpoint, ID

Friday, April 9th, 2010 from 1pm- 4pm
Coeur d’Alene Public Library
Community Room
702 E. Front Street
Coeur d’Alene, ID

Friday, April 16th, 2010 from 9am-12pm
Lewiston Community Center
1424 Main Street
Lewiston, ID

Results are available for public review and comment, and the report findings will ultimately inform collaborative development and implementation of a statewide Fair Housing Plan. Phase I of the report describes perceived barriers to ‘affirmatively furthering fair housing’ and/or to ‘cooperation and collaboration’ among Idaho’s diverse stakeholders.

While this draft represents a starting point, a revised and expanded Analysis of Impediments is planned for 2010 to coincide with new regulatory guidance from HUD and information from the U.S. Census and other sources.

Additional public comments are welcome, and may be directed to hirc@ihfa.org / TTD 800.545.1833 Ext. 400. Para informacion en Espanol, por favor llame al 208.331.4716.

Additional resources:
Public comments and recommendations for reform
Reforming HUD’s Regulations to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing

Summer 2009: Making Housing Fair – Rural Enforcement and Collaboration

• Fair Housing Practices
• The Challenges of Fair Housing Enforcement in Rural America
• Enforcement in Maine of Family Status Protections
• Collaboration as a Second Language
• Combating Housing Discrimination and Promoting Housing Justice for the Disabled in Rural Iowa
• Protecting the Rights of Vulnerable Populations
• View from Washington: USDA Office of Civil Rights
• View from Washington: HUD Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
• Special Feature: One Person’s Connections with the Housing Act of 1949

Download the article Collaboration as a Second Language as a .pdf