Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council

01/23/2023

Your segregated town might finally be in trouble

"For 55 years, the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law meant to address housing discrimination, has required communities to certify that they are working to reduce government-sponsored segregation. But for decades, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) did little to ensure cities were actually following through.

A new regulation is meant to give that desegregation mandate some teeth."

HUD hopes its new rule to combat segregation will last longer than Obama’s.

01/20/2023

Some Black Homeowners Could Have a Clear Way to Challenge Racist Appraisals

"Many Black homeowners who suspect that discrimination led to an unfair appraisal of their house could request a review and a potential do-over, under a federal proposal that will likely go into effect this year."

And, of course, if you're concerned you've received an unfair appraisal, let the Fair Housing Council know! We can help: 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

Under a new proposal, a homeowner with a mortgage insured by the Federal Housing Administration would have uniform steps to follow to object to what they believe is an unfair, biased appraisal.

01/20/2023

Madison loosens zoning near transit lines amid clash over housing

Zoning changes in were passed this week, "meant to allow for more housing density near a new bus rapid transit line and other major routes."

"Throughout the council meeting, alders raised concerns about housing equity.

'Madison might be the best place to live in the U.S. if you are white, (but) time and time again Wisconsin is rated as one of the worst places to live if you are Black or brown or person of color,' said Ald. Juliana Bennett, District 8, who went on to quote Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: 'There must be a better redistribution of wealth within this country for all God's children.'”

The City Council relaxes single-family restrictions in historic districts near bus routes, allowing duplexes that some residents wanted to block.

01/19/2023

Biden Revives Housing Rule That Trump Derided as ‘Abolishing the Suburbs’

"The Biden administration is restoring a rule that will require cities, counties and states that receive federal housing funds to examine patterns of residential segregation within their borders and take steps to uproot them, a mandate that was first established by civil rights–era legislation but has proved almost impossible to enact.

President Donald Trump ripped up the previous standard, known as the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which he condemned as a federal push to 'abolish the suburbs' in the run-up to the presidential election in 2020. Soon after taking office, President Joe Biden pledged to reverse Trump’s decisions on AFFH and once again take steps toward an elusive goal of erasing color lines in American neighborhoods."

A civil rights-era fair housing policy is back, with new tweaks aimed at making it easier to s***f out segregation.

01/19/2023

City National Bank to pay $31M redlining settlement, DOJ’s largest ever

ICYMI: last week, The Justice Department accused Los Angeles-based City National Bank of "discrimination by refusing to underwrite mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities, requiring the bank to pay more than $31 million in the largest redlining settlement in department history."

The California-based bank is the latest to be found systematically avoiding lending to racial and ethnic minorities, a practice the Biden administration is fighting with a task force.

01/18/2023

Algorithms Allegedly Penalized Black Renters. The US Government Is Watching

A pending class action lawsuit "argues that SafeRent scores based in part on information in a credit report amounted to discrimination against Black and Hispanic renters in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The groundbreaking legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, disability, religion, or national origin and was passed in 1968 by Congress a week after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr."

The Department of Justice warned a provider of tenant-screening software that its technology must comply with fair housing law.

01/18/2023

January is . In Wisconsin, fair housing laws prohibit discrimination against victims of stalking, sexual assault, and domestic abuse.

If you're concerned you've faced discrimination in a housing situation, help is available. Contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

01/17/2023

Selling Houses While Black

Diversity within the housing industry is a fair housing issue: "Today about 6 percent of real estate agents and brokers in the United States are Black, though 14 percent of Americans are Black. White real estate agents make almost three times as much as their Black peers, according to the N.A.R.. To make it in the industry, Black agents say they are taking precautions and making concessions, including changing their names or omitting their photos from promotional materials to hide their racial identities."

About 6 percent of real estate agents and brokers in the United States are Black. Their white peers make almost three times as much, according to data and surveys.

01/16/2023

True then and true now.

“The majority of white Americans consider themselves sincerely committed to justice for the Negro. They believe that American society is essentially hospitable to fair play and to steady growth toward a middle-class Utopia embodying racial harmony.

But unfortunately this is a fantasy of self-deception and comfortable vanity.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

01/12/2023

Please share widely - the Fair Housing Council is seeking a full-time Intake Analyst based in Milwaukee. Apply by January 23. For a full job description and information about how to apply, visit the link in our bio.

01/11/2023

Would your organization like to expand its knowledge of housing discrimination and how to build inclusive communities? We offer fair housing presentations!

Our presentations cover topics such as:

- Protections defined in local, state and federal fair housing laws
- Segregation in Wisconsin
- Contemporary forms of illegal discrimination
- Remedies available to people who have experienced discrimination
- How complaints of illegal discrimination are investigated
- When to refer clients to the Fair Housing Council
- What your members, clients and staff can do to assist in fair housing law enforcement

For more info, contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or at the link in our bio.

01/11/2023

How Three Black Women Hope to Change the Home Appraisal Industry

"According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 97 percent of home appraisers in the United States are white. Advocates say it is time to recruit more people of color, particularly Black women."

Two veteran appraisers and a newcomer have different but compatible approaches to combating discrimination against Black homeowners.

01/11/2023

How Formerly Incarcerated People Won Legal Protection in Atlanta

Expanded rights in Atlanta!

"In Atlanta, people with criminal records are entering the new year with new legal protections. The city council passed an ordinance in October adding criminal record status to the list of factors that have 'protected class' status in the city. This means that employers, landlords, banks, schools and other city institutions can no longer legally deny people goods and services based on their criminal background, just as they can’t discriminate based on race, gender, disability, marital status or sexual orientation."

The fight for anti-discrimination protections was led by campaigners like Bridgette Simpson, who know the issue first-hand.

01/10/2023

Justice Department and Meta Platforms Inc. Reach Key Agreement as They Implement Groundbreaking Resolution to Address Discriminatory Delivery of Housing Advertisements

Yesterday, the The United States Department of Justice announced that it "reached a key milestone in its settlement agreement with Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta), formerly known as Facebook Inc., requiring Meta to change its advertisement delivery system to prevent discriminatory advertising in violation of the Fair Housing Act (FHA). As required by the settlement entered on June 27, 2022, resolving a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Meta has now built a new system to address algorithmic discrimination. Today, the parties informed the court that they have reached agreement on the system’s compliance targets. This development ensures that Meta will be subject to court oversight and regular review of its compliance with the settlement through June 27, 2026."

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a key milestone in its settlement agreement with Meta Platforms Inc. (Meta), formerly known as Facebook Inc., requiring Meta to change its advertisement delivery system to prevent discriminatory advertising in violation of the Fair Housing A...

01/10/2023

Please share widely - the Fair Housing Council is seeking a full-time Intake Analyst based in Milwaukee. Apply by January 23. For a full job description and information about how to apply, visit: https://tinyurl.com/FHCJob

01/09/2023

How Tenant Screening Services Disproportionately Exclude Renters of Color from Housing

In 2021, "almost 40 percent of mom-and-pop landlords surveyed reported tightening their screening criteria—a move that could reduce housing access for many, particularly families of color."

If you're concerned you've faced discrimination when looking for housing, contact us: 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

Landlords rely on tenant screening reports to make decisions about prospective renters, but common screening criteria can enforce structural barriers to housing access for people of color.

01/06/2023

Please share widely - the Fair Housing Council is seeking a full-time Intake Analyst based in Milwaukee. Apply by January 23. For a full job description and information about how to apply, visit: https://tinyurl.com/FHCJob

12/20/2022

Was your home once off-limits to non-Whites? These maps can tell you.

"Historians say racial covenants were possible, and in some areas pervasive, in neighborhoods built in the late 19th century or first half of the 20th century — a period when suburbs boomed and Black southerners moved to northern and Midwestern cities as part of the Great Migration."

The legacy of segregated neighborhoods nationwide is being analyzed by urban planners and historians who are mapping racial covenants.

12/19/2022

"Migration is an expression of the human aspiration for dignity, safety and a better future. It is part of the social fabric, part of our very make-up as a human family."

- Ban Ki-moon, Former Secretary General of the United Nations

December 18, 2022 is International Migrants Day! Fair housing laws prohibit discrimination based on national origin. If you're concerned you've faced discrimination in a housing situation, help is available. Contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

12/17/2022

Discrimination can often be subtle, but it can still harm us. If you're concerned that you've faced discrimination of any kind in a housing situation, help is available. Contact the Fair Housing Council at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

12/17/2022

Feds settle with California city and sheriff's department over discriminatory rental housing program

"The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a first-of-its-kind agreement with a California city and sheriff's department over a 'crime-free' rental housing program that led to Black people and Latinos being evicted from their homes based on allegations they had committed crimes."

Black people and Latinos were evicted from their homes based on allegations they committed crimes in Hesperia in San Bernardino County.

12/16/2022

How Neighborhoods Used Restrictive Housing Covenants to Block Nonwhite Families

Do you know how racially restrictive covenants in housing shaped our communities? Learn more about this important part of our history.

Communities across the U.S. required home deeds to include clauses that explicitly denied buyers based on race, ethnicity or religion.

12/14/2022

New Suit Uses Data to Back Racial Bias Claims Against State Farm

"Black customers have long claimed that the nation’s largest home insurer discriminates against them. A lawsuit claims a nine-month study provides some proof."

If you're concerned that you've experienced discrimination in Wisconsin's housing market, including when buying homeowners insurance, contact the Fair Housing Council at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com. Help is available.

Black customers have long claimed that the nation’s largest home insurer discriminates against them. A lawsuit claims a nine-month study provides some proof.

12/12/2022

Section 8 Lawsuit Accuses Philadelphia Landlord of ‘Modern-Day Redlining’

Housing discrimination can happen in multiple ways. Check out this Philadelphia case involving rent assistance. In , local ordinances in Madison, Milwaukee County and Dane County prohibit housing discrimination based on use of rent assistance. Questions? Need help? Contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

The case alleges that ProManaged Inc., a large property management company, refused to rent to prospective tenants with federal housing vouchers.

12/09/2022

The National Fair Housing Alliance Applauds the House Select Committee for Its Approval of Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All - NFHA

The National Fair Housing Alliance Applauds the House Select Committee for Its Approval of Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All - NFHA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 8, 2022   Contact: Izzy Woodruff | [email protected]    NFHA is pleased the report includes priorities of the Fair Housing Movement  Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Bridging the Divide: Building an Economy that Works for All was approved by the Ho...

12/05/2022

Discrimination Seeps Into Every Aspect of Home Buying for Black Americans

"A Black loan applicant in the United States is more than twice as likely to be denied a home mortgage as a white applicant, aggravating the homeownership gap between Black and white Americans, according to a new report.

Though loan denials for both Black and white applicants have slowed since the 2008 financial crisis, the gap in denial rates for Black and white people applying for home loans has widened significantly. Today, 15 percent of Black applicants are denied mortgages while 6 percent of white applicants are denied the home loans, according to a report by the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, an advocacy organization for Black real estate professionals."

If you've faced discrimination in any part of the housing market, you can seek a legal remedy. Contact the Fair Housing Council for help: 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

The National Association of Real Estate Brokers says discrimination is holding Black buyers back in all steps of the home buying process, starting with the rejection of a mortgage application.

12/05/2022

This week we're offering two FREE online training seminars for owners and managers of rental housing in Milwaukee County:

Weds., Dec. 7, 1 - 2:30pm
Thurs., Dec. 8, 10 - 11:30am

These 90-minute seminars cover the protected classes and prohibited practices as defined by local, state and federal fair housing laws; exemptions to the laws; how fair housing laws are enforced; the rights of tenants with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations and modifications; and emerging fair housing issues. Content of each seminar is the same, so choose either date!

To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/MKECOUNTY2022

12/03/2022

Next week we're offering two FREE online training seminars for owners and managers of rental housing in Milwaukee County:

Weds., Dec. 7, 1 - 2:30pm
Thurs., Dec. 8, 10 - 11:30am

These 90-minute seminars cover the protected classes and prohibited practices as defined by local, state and federal fair housing laws; exemptions to the laws; how fair housing laws are enforced; the rights of tenants with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations and modifications; and emerging fair housing issues. Content of each seminar is the same, so choose either date!

To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/MKECOUNTY2022

12/02/2022

Are you concerned about discrimination in home appraisals? If you'd like to know more about red flags of discrimination and how fair housing laws apply to the home appraisal process, contact the Fair Housing Council at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

12/01/2022

Next week we're offering two FREE online training seminars for owners and managers of rental housing in Milwaukee County:

Weds., Dec. 7, 1 - 2:30pm
Thurs., Dec. 8, 10 - 11:30am

These 90-minute seminars cover the protected classes and prohibited practices as defined by local, state and federal fair housing laws; exemptions to the laws; how fair housing laws are enforced; the rights of tenants with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations and modifications; and emerging fair housing issues. Content of each seminar is the same, so choose either date!

To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/MKECOUNTY2022

11/30/2022

California outlawed Section 8 housing discrimination. Why it still persists

"More than two years after a law in California made it illegal for landlords to refuse to rent to people who pay through Section 8 and other subsidies, leasing agents routinely reject tenants because of their vouchers or illegally discourage their applications, according to tenant advocates and state officials."

Discrimination based on use of rent assistance and housing choice vouchers is prohibited in Dane County and Milwaukee County, too.

If you're concerned you've faced discrimination, help is available. Contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or through our website, fairhousingwisconsin.com.

Robert Gardner said he knew it was time to move after he came home to find his Valley Village apartment broken into and ransacked.

11/27/2022

Did you know that our Dane County satellite office, the Fair Housing Center of Greater Madison, is a proud member of Community Shares of Wisconsin? Please consider giving to the Fair Housing Center and other justice-making groups this !

Don't forget, is quickly approaching! Your contribution to Community Shares or any of our 70 member organizations makes a difference today and builds a foundation for change in future generations.

11/20/2022

We mourn lives cut short by hate, and recommit to creating communities where all people can thrive.

11/19/2022

We still have numerous FREE fair housing training opportunities available before the end of the year.

These 90-minute online seminars cover the protected classes and prohibited practices as defined by local, state and federal fair housing laws; exemptions to the laws; how fair housing laws are enforced; the rights of tenants with disabilities to receive reasonable accommodations and modifications; and emerging fair housing issues.

To see when seminars are offered for your area, or to register, visit our full schedule: https://www.fairhousingwisconsin.com/post/free-fair-housing-training

11/15/2022

'False narratives': How a new study of Milwaukee and other cities punctures the myth of housing vouchers correlating with crime

The Fair Housing Council's Kori Schneider Peragine describes entrenched racism, segregation and rent assistance in today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel!

The study is another tool fair housing advocates can use to encourage landlords outside the central city to accept voucher recipients.

11/15/2022

This , we affirm the rights of all people, of any gender identity, to find and keep housing!

If you're concerned you've faced discrimination in the housing market, contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.

11/11/2022

On this , we recognize and honor those who have served our nation! Those who have sacrificed for our nation shouldn't have to fight for their rights at home. If you're concerned you've faced discrimination in a housing situation, contact the Fair Housing Council at 1-877-647-3247 or through the link in our bio.

11/10/2022

Of Wisconsin hate crimes reported to the FBI in 2020,

- 39% targeted Black people
- 15% targeted people based on their gender identity and sexual orientation
- 10% were antisemitic
- 7% targeted Latinx people
- 29% involved other factors, such as hate targeting Asian Americans, people with disabilities, and religious minorities.

Questions about hate in housing situations, or filing a complaint? Contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com

11/09/2022

Discrimination can happen in any stage of a housing transaction, including during the eviction process. Questions? Need help? Contact us at 1-877-647-3247 or fairhousingwisconsin.com.